


Sapphire & Jasper

by Aubrie1234



Category: Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz, The Secret Saturdays
Genre: Alex and Doyle had a falling out but are trying to be in love again, Ethics and Morals may be challenged, M/M, No One Is Perfect, Pasts will be revealed, Scorpia is back, This is set a few months after the end of the SS series, everyone has secrets, things get worse before they get better
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-20 15:55:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 127,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13721040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aubrie1234/pseuds/Aubrie1234
Summary: Doyle's had a harsh past, as everyone knows. But no one knows what was in it before he met Van Rook except for one. And when he meets that man again, Doyle is forced to face his past, to take on what he swore to leave behind 13 years ago. But just who is it and what's his connection to Doyle? What kind of history did they have together? And will the reunion be the downfall of the Saturdays?





	1. Meeting Again (And Not In A Good Way)

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is also posted on Fanfiction.net and I decided to share it here, in case someone else also likes it. It's still ongoing, but I've really been into it, so I hope to at least finish it sometime instead of just letting it rot away. In any case, I hope you guys like the story!

Title page:

* * *

 

_Doyle suppressed the whimper that tried to escape his lips. He knew it had been a bad idea to go anywhere alone, especially a seedy part of New York City, and this was his fate: to be rented out as a prostitute by who-knows-who. Why did it have to be him, why not someone else? Not that he wanted it to happen to someone else, he just wished it wasn't him. Hearing the door open interrupted his thoughts and he tried to push himself into his corner, to make himself smaller and not be seen. He strained against the ropes that held his wrists, but they only rubbed his skin raw and cut deeper, almost stopping the circulation._

_"The one in here is the last one and the newest. We only got him a few days ago and looks like he's never been taken." the redhead heard past the small opening of the half-open door, "You're the first to see him, too."_

_"How lucky I am." the second voice sounded younger than the first with a slight American accent, "Is he unharmed?"_

_"Mostly. He's an unwilling participant, so we had to tie his wrists. What's your bid?"_

_"I want to see him before I show my money." The door was then opened all the way and Doyle had to shut his eyes from the brightness that spilled out. He heard footsteps and soon a shadow hovered over him, allowing him to open his eyes. He was still a bit blinded by the light, so he couldn't see the person in front of him properly. He did know the person was a man based on the figure, at least, and that he looked to be only a few inches shorter than Doyle. Said man then knelt to examine him. The man's face was in shadow, like the rest of his body, but Doyle could see dark brown eyes, old eyes that had seen much. They reminded him of the gemstone jasper, in a way._

_A hand then grasped his chin, gently but firmly, and moved his head so he could be examined. It nearly made him sick, the man examining him like he was just an animal. After nearly a minute of looking him over (not just his face), he was let go and the man stood up._

_"How much?"_

_"Depends on how much money you have."_

_"20 grand. That's my offer." Doyle's eyes widened at that, fear entering them. Was this guy rich or something?! And if he was bought, what would the man do to him?_

_"Most prostitutes aren't that expensive, but I'll take what I can get." Doyle heard the distinct sound of paper money being exchanged before he was dragged to his feet by a hand on his arm. He squinted as he was lead into the light, mostly unable to see._

_"Pleasure doing business with you." said the man to Doyle's previous captor, "Expect to hear from me again."_

_"Don't worry, we will!" As Doyle's eyes finally adjusted to the light, he was lead out of the warehouse and back into darkness. From the backlight, he could barely make out the shape of a black car in the darkness. The door opened and he was gently pushed in, followed by the man. As the door closed and the car moved away, a soft yellow light was turned on. Doyle blinked at the suddenness of it, finally getting a look at the man. His jaw dropped, though, as he saw that the man wasn't exactly a man at all. He looked more like a boy, no younger than 16 at the very least! He had blond hair and fairly normal clothes, such as a t-shirt, a leather jacket, denim pants, and so on, which masked the rich element he hid. He sat beside Doyle quietly, staring at the redhead as much as Doyle was staring at him._

_"You're safe." said the boy, who smirked as his accent changed from American to British, "And I'm older than I look, thank you very much." Doyle snapped out of his shocked state._

_"Erm, sorry." he said, shifting in his seat uncomfortably, "So, what are you going to do with me?"_

_"Didn't you hear me? I said you're safe." he took a multitool out of his pocket and began cutting Doyle's bonds, "I'm Alex, by the way. I bought you to save you from those people." The man rubbed his wrists as he glanced at Alex._

_"...Thank you. I'm Doyle. But why just me? Why not all the other people in the other rooms?"_

_"I'm helping the FBI with this prostitution ring. I buy people, one at a time and at intervals, and give the men marked bills. All the money is real, but the numbers have been written down and memorized in case they get used. When they do, the agents come out and arrest the person. Hopefully the gang won't catch the details." Doyle had to admit, that was clever, "But there's something I need to do to keep the suspicion off of me." he gave Doyle a grimace, which the man didn't like._

_"What is it?"_

_"We won't be having sex, but I'm going to have to give you bruises, just in case the gang checks up on me to make sure I'm not in some sort of operation. That was part of the agreement." Doyle shared Alex's grimace._

_"Where are you staying, then?"_

_"You'll see." It was quiet for a time until Doyle couldn't suppress his questions anymore._

_"Why are you working for the FBI? How old are you? What happened to your American accent?" Alex blinked, then smiled._

_"I'm 20, same as you are." he began, sitting back, "I'm actually British, but I've learned to project an American accent and I know many things, including several different languages. The way I know all of that, along with your age, and why I'm working with the FBI is because I'm a spy for MI6."_

_"Isn't that a part of the UK?" the redhead had heard little about the agency but knew its country of origin._

_"Yeah, but they loan me out to other agencies if they need me." Alex looked out the window, "And looks like we're here." Doyle followed his gaze to see them stopped just outside a large apartment building in one of the best parts of NYC. He swallowed thickly, wondering how long he would have to be with Alex and where this adventure would take him._

* * *

Doyle blinked open his eyes as Zon flew past the window, cawing out her morning welcome. It was a beautiful day, the sun shining, not a cloud in the sky... But it wasn't as happy as the ex-mercenary wanted it to be. His dream of a memory had dampened his mood quite a bit, especially since it involved Alex. Even the thought of the blond made his heart ache with sadness. Had it already been 13 years since they had met? And it was his birthday, no less.

"Might as well put on a show." he mused, climbing out of bed to get ready for the day. But as he moved about the room, his eyes kept straying to a photo album on his bedside table, one he had only placed out recently. It held certain pictures he both loved and hated, which tore at his heart as much as the thought of Alex did. He ignored it and quickly left the room, wondering if his family knew it was his birthday and how they would celebrate it. He hadn't had a birthday cake in his memory, but he surely had one when his and Drew's parents were alive, right?

As he walked, he saw Zon land at her perch and decided to feed her, as no one else was awake yet. Going to the freezer in the kitchen, he took a bucket of fish and went out to her. She eyed him suspiciously as he put down the bucket.

"Sorry Jurassic, but I don't know how to warm these up the way you like them, so I left them cold. Eat all you want." She blinked, then began eating said fish. He rubbed her mane and smiled sadly to himself.

"My birthday's today. I'm going to be 33. Not like you care, though." he said. Zon glanced at him before going back to her eating, leaving him open to continue, "I had a memory last night, of something I hadn't thought about in a long, long time. Do you think it might mean something?"

"Rawk!" she gave a shrug. How would she know?

"Well, thanks for listening, at least." he gave her a pat on the head before standing. It was also at that moment alarms began blaring, "What's going on now?!"

* * *

The alarm was about a cryptid relatively nearby, which they had to deal with and came back just in time for breakfast. But not all was as it seemed, as they were about to learn.

Before getting breakfast, Zak went to return to his room to grab something. As the door slid open and he stepped inside, however, he stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes widened as he saw a blond man standing there, looking no older than 25 at least. He turned at the sound of the door, where Zak saw he had brown eyes, hard like stones. The boy drew the Claw in case the man meant him harm.

"Looks like I'm in the wrong room." the man quipped as he put down a picture frame he had been holding, looking at the last family picture that had been taken before Zak had been discovered to be Kur.

"Who are you?!" growled the dark-skinned child.

"I'm Alex. I mean no harm to anyone, I only want to talk to your uncle."

"How do you know he's my uncle? And how did you get in here?"

"You don't have good security, compared to what I've had to deal with. As for Doyle," the blond gave a sad smile, "let's just say I'm an old friend."

"Zak?" Drew called, wondering why her son hadn't returned yet. Alex sat on the bed, keeping eye contact with Zak.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." he nodded to the door behind the boy, "Go get breakfast. I'll be right here, but it won't be easy to capture me if you decide to try." Slowly, Zak lowered the Claw. He wasn't sure whether to trust the guy or not, honestly. His instincts were telling him not to, to stay away, but his feelings said that Alex was a good guy and would stand by his word.

"...Okay." he spoke and then left. But just to make sure, he locked his door from the outside. He would bring Fisk and Komodo with him and maybe talk a little more with Alex, whoever he was. It also made it a little awkward at breakfast, trying not to say anything about their intruder. He nearly choked on his breakfast when Doyle had announced that his birthday was today. Was that the reason Alex was there? Because it was Doyle's birthday?

"And how do you know it's your birthday?" Drew asked.

"Well, I did a little digging when I was younger but it was only with the help of Van Rook that I got anywhere." he gave a lopsided grin, "I haven't been able to celebrate it, though, and it just passed by last year while we were on the run."

"So how old are you?" Doc asked.

"33. Are we going to celebrate?"

"Of course!" Zak put in, wonder where this was going, "Why not?"

"You all know Van Rook was a cheapskate, so I never really got to celebrate. The best I got was maybe a cheap book or something."  _He was the one who gave me that photo album, after all._

"At least that's better than nothing." Drew smiled, "And I think you got your birthday right, from what I recall. It's been a long time since I remember celebrating your birthday." More was then discussed about Doyle's birthday, allowing Zak to sneak off with his two brothers. Once they were out of sight and far enough away from the dining room, the boy began to speak.

"Okay, here's the deal." Zak began, "There this guy in my room who bypassed security and wants to talk to Doyle."

"Wazzah wha?!" Fisk yelped, then began saying that they should go get their parents. Zak covered his mouth, however.

"No way!" the boy shook his head, "It's Doyle's birthday and if we go get Mom and Dad, we're bringing Doyle too and I don't think he'd like to see Alex." Komodo hissed, asking why he thought that. Zak answered, "It's just a feeling I've got." Giving each other dubious glances, the two cryptids followed Zak down the hall, to the bedrooms. The blond looked up when they entered, eyes narrowing at the sight of Fisk and Komodo.

"They're not here to help catch you." spoke Zak, "We just want to talk. What connection do you have to Doyle?" The man was quiet, examining them in the uncomfortable silence before he talked.

"...I met him nearly 13 years ago and we became friends, then had a falling out. I tried tracking him down for over a decade so I could say sorry." There was genuine sadness in his eyes, "Do you believe me?" Zak and Fisk were leaning towards yes, but Komodo wasn't so easily convinced. Turning invisible, he slithered forward, ready to bite the man.

"Komodo, no-!" Before Zak could finish, Alex kicked and actually hit the lizard in the head, sending him backwards and cutting off his invisibility. Shaking his head, he hissed at Alex, glaring.

"I was only defending myself." the brown-eyed man admonished, "I wasn't able to see you, but I could see the scratch marks you made on the floor every time you put down a claw. I used that to judge where your head was and kicked out. Simple as that." The boys had to admit, that was impressive. However, the noise of Komodo crashing into the wall had brought their parents and uncle.

"Boys, stay back!" Drew said upon seeing Alex. She and Doc pulled out their respective weapons and but themselves between Zak, his brothers, and Alex. The man only raised an eyebrow at them as he stood.

"Interesting welcoming committee." he remarked, "Do I get a gift now?"

"Mom, Dad, it's okay! Sure, he got past the defenses easily, but he's just here to talk with Doyle!" Zak tried to turn down the tension.

"...What are  _you_ doing here?" Doyle's voice was deadly quiet, but full of anger at the same time. Doc and Drew shared a glance before wisely stepping out of his way.

"I came to say I'm sorry." Alex's eyes had softened at seeing Doyle, but he was ready for any verbal or physical lashing he was about to get. He knew he deserved it, after all.

"To the roof.  _ **Now**_." Alex nodded and followed him as the very angry redhead lead the way.

"You're just letting them go?" Zak asked once the two men were out of earshot.

"We don't have a choice." Doc told him, "I'd rather not see what Doyle plans to do to him."

"Can't we listen in on their conversation?"

"They went up to the roof. There aren't any cameras or listening devices up there, so we can't tell what's going on." Drew spoke, "But I  _do_  want to know. And later, I want to know how  _you_ know him, mister." she pointed at Zak for emphasis.

"Well, Fisk could climb up and put the listening devices there, couldn't he?"

"Uh uh!" the gorilla-cat shook his head and waved his hands in an obvious 'no' gesture.

"I suppose, just as long as he stays out of sight." Doc mused, "There's no telling what those two are going to talk about or what they'll do, especially if they find out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Jasper, as used in the title, is a fairly unknown birthstone for February and can be any color, including brown, which is what it is for this story. It'll make sense later, I promise.
> 
> 2\. Despite everyone mainly having black eyes in the SS series, I gave at least two characters their own eye colors: Red and Blue to Drew and Doyle, respectively. As with above, it'll make sense later, I promise.
> 
> 3\. Large italic portions are memories.
> 
> 4\. When I first wrote this, I didn't like cursing in my stories, which is why you'll see that whenever cursing is done in here, it's sort of blotted out.


	2. Can I Stay? (Even Though I Think You Hate Me)

As soon as the door was locked, Doyle turned on him.

"HOW COULD YOU?!" he shouted, "We bonded, we became more than friends, we did  _that_ , and you just leave me?!"

"Did you even read my letter?" Doyle tore a piece of paper from his pocket and threw it at Alex's feet. It was old with a faded date and a name on the outside. Alex picked it up, unsurprised.

"Oh, I read it alright. But the way you wrote all that made it sound like you didn't even  _care_. You were as bad as the potential people who could have bought me." Those words caused Alex to crush the paper.

"I could never be  _anything_  like those people!" his anger was swept away, though, and he gently unfolded the paper, "Besides, everything I did for you was in love. I had no choice but to leave you behind, otherwise you could've gotten hurt or even killed. People have  _died_  around me and because of me before, Doyle. I didn't want you to have the same fate."

"Then why didn't you wake me up? Why did you let me sleep?" An undercurrent of anger could be heard in Doyle's voice, so Alex tried his best not to light the redhead's fuse again.

"You were so peaceful. I couldn't bear to wake you up for a phone call that would end in sadness. I also get blackmailed into doing stuff like that all the time. If I had tried to bring you along, MI6 and other people would have found a way to use you against me. It's happened before. Why do you think I burn my bridges? But you... You were the only bridge I wasn't willing to burn. I knew the consequences, but I also knew I had no choice." Alex held out his free hand, "I know this is a bit much, but do you forgive me?" Doyle glanced between his face, hand, and the paper, eyes narrowed.

"...Forgiveness can't be won back so easily, Alex. Show me that I can trust you again and I might just do that. And also," he stepped forward to cup Alex's face in one hand, ignoring the outstretched one, "you don't look a day over 25, even though you're 33."

"Same to you. You've even got a family." he pulled away, Doyle's touch making his face burn, "I guess I'll be going, then." He turned to leave, but stopped when the redhead grasped his arm. It was so tight and quick that it felt like a vice.

"Please." he whimpered, fear entering his sapphire eyes, "Please don't go. I may not have forgiven you, but I don't want you to leave me again." the blond allowed Doyle to tug him into the larger man's arms before answering.

"Leaving you hurt me just as much, but I'll only leave if you want me to. Until then, I'm staying."

"Thank you." Alex let Doyle hold him for as long as he wanted, feeling his hair get wet by tears. He himself had cried when he had been forced to leave the ex-mercenary, but it must have been harder for Doyle because he was the more emotional of the two.

"I'm okay now." Doyle said after a few minutes, letting Alex go and wiping his eyes.

"Then let's go meet your family." Hesitantly, the blond touched the redhead's hand and when he wasn't pushed away, grasped it and tugged Doyle along behind him. Maybe, just  _maybe_ , they could repair their relationship and go back to the way things were. If only it was that easy...

* * *

Fisk had planted the bugs and got out of the way just in time, hiding just beyond the edge of the roof as the door slammed open. He held his breath and stayed completely still as the men argued and only moved when they left, releasing his breath.

"I don't believe it." he heard Drew breathe as he entered the window of the room where the rest of the family was. Doc and Drew were shocked while Zak and his brothers were confused.

"So let me get this straight: Alex loves Doyle and Doyle loves him back, but he's mad at Alex for leaving him and won't forgive him? Alex is a spy, left him a letter, and Doyle got emotional over him leaving again?"

"Maybe you should take this one." Drew whispered to her husband, "I'll wait for Doyle and Alex." Doc nodded and led his sons away. It was at that moment Doyle and Alex came in, not holding hands anymore. There was a faint blush on their faces, though.

"Drew, this is Alex." the redhead began, "He's my ex-fiancé." At that she raised an eyebrow, trailing her eyes down to see if she could spot the ring if it was still there. Nothing was on his hands, but there was a necklace around his neck, a brass ring hooked to it, possibly the missing promise ring.

"Nice to meet you." the blond nodded, holding out a hand, "And who are you?" Hesitantly, she took his hand, wary of tricks.

"I'm Drew. Nice to meet you too. Since they're not here, I can tell you about our family."

"That would be nice, but first," Alex turned to Doyle, "do you still have those photos?" The man blinked before recognition flooded his eyes and he nodded.

"Sure I do. I'll be back in a minute." After he left the room, Alex's kind stare turned hard.

"I saw those bugs on the roof. What're you trying to pull?" he growled, "I know you don't trust me, but why?" Drew glared back with similar intensity.

"He's my brother. As his older sister, it's my job to keep him safe. He gave his heart out once to a woman named Abbey and got it crushed, so now that I know you two were once in love, I want to protect him." Alex stared at her, then nodded.

"Understandable, but please leave us alone. Doyle may like the attention, but I don't. I'm a spy, so if I'm in the spotlight, I might attract unwelcome guests. They're ones that could easily kill any of us, your son, even the creatures that guard him. Do you really want that?"

"No, no I don't." she answered immediately, then sighed, "I'll try not to spy on you, but I can't promise anything."

"Thank you. That's all I wanted."

"Here it is." Doyle came in and quickly sensed the atmosphere, glancing between his previous ex and sister, "Did something happen?"

"Nothing. Where'd you get the book?" Alex changed the subject.

"It was a gift from Van Rook." the ex-mercenary looked down at the book with sadness, "He gave it to me during the first birthday I had with him. He used to be Drew's boyfriend and died half-a-year ago protecting her. After you left, I was on my own until around 5 years ago, when he took me in and began to train me. He may have been a cheapskate and a mercenary, but he was a great guy."

"May I?" the blond held out a hand. Doyle gave the book to him, where Alex flipped through it.

"I remember all of these, especially this one." he pointed to a page that held two pictures. He mainly pointed to the top one, though, which showed Alex in trunks, sunglasses, and a t-shirt laying on a beach chair, his leg out and ready to trip an unsuspecting Doyle as he drank a margarita. Much to Drew's surprise, Doyle didn't have the mohawk (though his hair was just as long), nor the earings or the hardness he had now. In fact, his head was turned away, talking to a pretty girl as he walked towards the edge of a pool, just about to trip on Alex's leg. Her brother's ears turned red in mortification as he seemed to remember the memory.

"Yeah, that one was...urgh." Doyle shivered, "You embarrassed me at that pool party! Is it a wonder how I hate going to the pool now?"

"At least you had a graceful landing."

"You call falling headfirst into a pool  _graceful_?!"

"To me in was." The redhead's retort died in his throat.

"You...you thought I was graceful?"

"Of course I did. That was also one of the first indications that let me know I loved you." Alex looked away and was silent. Drew shifted uneasily in the awkwardness that followed, unsure what to do.

"...It's my birthday today."

"Is it now?" Doyle nodded, a smile crossing his face.

"I still remember the party you gave me." he took the book from Alex and flipped to another page, where it showed just the two of them in a large, fancy room. It was dark, the only light coming from two candles on a white cake, each a number spelling out '21.' Again Doyle looked more innocent in the picture than he was now, but Alex looked nearly ten years younger, almost a teenager. Drew realized it when she remembered feeling a similar impression from the last picture. Just how old was her brother's lover?

"That wasn't really a party, you know. It was just the two of us." Alex admonished.

"Exactly. I never wanted anything big and you knew that. You never tried to go beyond my boundaries and that's one of the few things about you I'm thankful for." The blond snorted, looking away again as his cheeks turned red.

"Yeah yeah..." he muttered, but Doyle smiled just the same.

"C'mon, let me show you the rest of my family." he gave his sister a nod and dragged Alex with him out of the room. Drew couldn't help but smile as she shook her head, wondering how her brother could have chosen such a person to love, and a man at that!

* * *

Legends tell of soulstones, stones of the birth month that can control a person. They are not easy to come by, as they have to be embued with dark magic to work and must have a certain connection to the person. But they become more powerful if you have both stones of people in love and even stronger if you force those people to fight. It's like the stones get a kick out of the cruelty they cause to those they control, in a way.

The legend (or more of a myth, if you think about it) has been mostly lost to time. However, there are always small pieces that tempt others to go after the truth, and not everyone who does is good.

* * *

After meeting Zak, Komodo, Fisk (all of whom couldn't even glance or hear Alex and Doyle without looking like they wanted to be sick), Zon, and Doc (who was impressed with Alex's intelligence), Doyle began showing the Brit around the compound. They had a whole day to spend together, after all.

"I can't believe it." Zak growled as he watched the two from a window, managing to keep the details his father told him out of his head for the time being, "He's dated two different people on both sides of the isle and I can't even get a single girl to like me! Not fair!"

"But you know how dangerous love can be, don't you?" Drew asked her son as she walked up beside him, the only other living being in the room, "Unlike you, he's also had his heart broken twice. Sometimes, the third time isn't the charm. Maybe they can fall back in love again, but there's also the chance they can't and Doyle may never find someone else to love again."

"If he's so head-over-heels for Alex, then why did he try dating Abbey?" Zak asked, intrigued by his mother's words. She gently ruffled his hair before speaking.

"They were apart for 11 years at the time, Zak. Your uncle might have thought he could move on, especially with how smitten he was with Abbey."

"But it didn't work out. Again." he fixed his hair as he thought things over, "No wonder he had bad trust issues. But then why did he trust Van Rook?"

"Trusting someone and loving them are two different things. Yes, they're both hard to win over, but you can trust someone and be afraid to love them at the same time. You can also love them but not trust them, too."

"That still doesn't answer my question."

"That's something only Doyle can tell you, kiddo. I used to be in love with Van Rook and I trusted him until he broke that trust. I know this might sound strange, but I never hated him, not even for what he did. I still held some of that old love in me all the time, but I never trusted him again. In my case, what I had for him was puppy love and even now, it's still a bit hard to get over. The first person you fall in love with might not always be the person you're willing to commit to, so keep that in mind when you work up the courage to ask Wadi out or the other way around." It was a few seconds before Zak's face grew red as he processed the words.

"MOM!" he whined in embarrassment. She only gave a small chuckle before leaving him alone. He also couldn't see either his uncle or Alex, as they had disappeared from view quite a while ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Doyle only got together with Abbey so he could move on. He did love her, in a way, but he certainly loves Alex more and always will.
> 
> 2\. In the flashbacks and the photos is what I imagine Doyle to look like when he's younger, so it might be confusing when it switches and you have to switch between mental images.
> 
> 3\. Drew used to love Van Rook and dated him, so it makes sense she still held feelings for him.
> 
> 4\. Doyle changed his looks from his past look to his modern look for a reason, which will be revealed later.


	3. Birthday Memories (Of A Happy Time Long Gone)

"Hey." Doyle poked his head into his room, where he had last seen Alex. After catching up a bit (mostly on the redhead's side, which had mainly been about his family instead of his own adventures), the blond had decided to stay a while and had gone to Doyle's room to get settled in. Though it was going to be a while before Doyle forgave him, they were sort-of comfortable with sleeping with one another. They had done it almost every day in the single year they had been together, after all.

"Yeah?" Alex turned to the door, his shirt beside him. Though he had seen the spy's scars once before, they still shocked Doyle.

"...It's almost time for dinner, if you want to come." he spoke at last, eyes riveted to Alex's scars. The blond noticed and quickly put his shirt back on.

"I'll be in there in a little while." he assured, "And thanks, for letting me stay."

"No trouble at all. But if you don't feel comfortable in here, there's a guest room down the hall."

"I know, but I'd rather stay in here."

"Suit yourself." Giving a nod, Doyle left Alex to his own devices. But he stopped, covering his mouth and going nowhere.

 _I saw your scars before, when we finally began to truly trust one another._  he thought, tears coming to his eyes,  _You have more than I remember. What did those b*str*ds_ do  _to you?_

* * *

Hesitantly, Alex walked the halls to find the dining room. He may have been able to sneak in, but he didn't know his way around the place. Maybe he should have asked Doyle for directions...

"Hey, what's keeping you?" Alex looked ahead to see Zak poking his head out of a doorway, "Lost?"

"Yeah." the blond was reluctant to admit it.

"If you want, I can show you the way."

"Better than just wandering around." Alex joined him, looking in the room to see a large living room.

"Did Doyle send you after me?"

"No, I came looking for you myself. This way." Zak began leading the way down the hall, "And also, I wanted to ask you a few things."

"Like what?"

"Well..." Zak didn't look so well as he glanced to Alex, "Dad told me about the sorts of stuff you guys might do while you're together, and I find it hard to believe that my uncle could love another man."

"I see..." the blond slowly nodded, "Well, I don't blame you. It's only recently that people are starting to accept the possibility of same-gender relationships. Back when we started our relationship, Doyle and I had to keep it quiet for several reasons and that was one of them. I'm not saying you'll get used to it, because you probably never will, but just have an open mind."

"Alright... So are you guys going to kiss in public or what?" Alex rolled his eyes.

"No, we won't subject you to that torture."

"Thank you!" Zak hugged him and the Brit smiled, placing a hand on the boy's hair.

"Glad you like me so much."

"Doyle's my uncle and means a lot to me. He also got his heart broken twice, so I want to make sure he doesn't get hurt again." At that, Alex's eyes narrowed.

"Your mom mentioned that." Zak pulled away, allowing them to continue walking, "Who's Abbey?"

"She was my old babysitter when I was little and helped us figure out more about Fisk's heritage. But then we found out she was working for Van Rook and later even took over his business, kicking him out."

"Talk about a whirlwind relationship." Alex couldn't help but make the sly remark.

"Says you." The two finally got to the dining room, where Doyle was. He had frowned when he had heard Alex's words but smiled when he saw them. The room was empty save for a few streamers, presumably put up by Zak or his brothers.

"Drew and Professor are baking a cake. Tried telling them I didn't need it, but they wanted to do it." Doyle explained, "'It's the least we can do, since we don't have presents for you right now.' My sister's exact words."

"Then consider this a present from everyone." Alex took a wrapped box out from under his jacket and slid it across the table. Doyle looked happy, but then gained a suspicious look.

"Knowing you, this would send me on a wild goosechase."

"It was only one time!"

"One  _birthday_ , you mean. You also did it for Valentine's Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July-"

"Okay, okay, I get it." Alex held his hands up in surrender, "But I promise, no goosechases this time." Doyle didn't touch the present, continuing to give the blond a disbelieving look.

"I'll open it  _after_  I blow out my candles."

"Suit yourself." Alex shrugged and slid into a seat beside the redhead. Zak also joined them at the table, "So, mind telling me more about what sorts of adventures you guys get into?"

"Well, we mostly help cryptids, especially if they encounter humans." Zak said.

"Except for the Owlman." The nephew-uncle team shared a shiver at some sort of memory, causing Alex to raise an eyebrow.

"I would ask, but now is probably not the best time. Anything else?"

"We work with other Secret Scientists to protect and study the cryptids, and until a few months ago, we were under threat of Argost."

"Argost..." Alex frowned, "So you're the ones he mentioned."

"What do you mean? Did you work with him?" Doyle matched Alex's frown with one of his own.

"No, I was undercover and tried to find out more about him. It didn't work out too well, though. I escaped Weird World twice, once by accident and the other when Argost found out who I really was. Of course, no one believed me, so I tried to do everything I could to keep him under control short of dealing with him myself. It didn't work out too much, so when I found out he died a few months ago, I didn't know how it happened. I looked a little harder into his background and found out you guys were his worst enemies, and that also led me to finding you again, Doyle." The redhead looked quite pale, despite the news of how Alex had managed to find him again.

"You never tried fighting him, right? Or Munya?"

"Not face-to-face, but I was sure he tried to assassinate me a few times." the Brit placed a hand on top of Doyle's, "You okay?"

"Not really." he shook his head, rubbing the side of his face, "But hearing that you were on Argost's bad side makes me terrified. Do you have any idea what he was capable of?" Alex tightened his grip.

"Of course I did, but if I didn't do anything, no one else would. I had to go through something similar before, as you know, so I knew I had no choice."

"You could have just backed out, they could have sent someone else-"

"MI6 didn't send me. I checked out Argost myself. And I know what he was."

"Do you really?" Doyle gave him a questioning look, "Do you really know what he was?"

"I know he wasn't human. I know he didn't care what was in his way, as long as he got what he want. I know he killed people for fun. And I know what he did your parents." Feeling this was getting pretty personal, Zak left the room, especially at the mention of his grandparents. It was still a touchy subject for Doyle and Drew and Alex had barged into it. In response, Doyle flinched.

"Then you also know what Drew and I went through." Alex surprisingly shook his head.

"Not really, but I'm sorry." he ran his hand through Doyle's hair in a reassuring gesture, "I know it wasn't my fault that they died, but I'm sorry for bringing them up on such a happy day. I'm so, so sorry."

"It's...it's okay." Doyle leaned into Alex's touch, "You told me what happened to your parents, so you know how I feel. It's only fair that you know what happened to mine."

"I guess." Alex didn't sound all that convinced. When they heard the door open, the blond took his hand off the redhead's head, but kept his other on Doyle's. The rest of the Saturday family came in, a regular round, white cake in Drew's hands. On top were also numbered candles, showing 33. Neither were lit, however, and Alex noticed Komodo rubbing his jaw and grumbling.

"Happy Birthday, little brother." Drew smiled and put the cake on the table, "Who got you the present?"

"Alex." Doyle said simply, giving his ex-boyfriend a slight smile. Alex smiled back as the candles were lit. Everyone waited anxiously as Doyle closed his eyes and took a moment to think before blowing out the candles. Both were transported back in time as the 'Happy Birthday' song was sang, remembering Doyle's 21st birthday fondly.

* * *

_"You're a cook?"_

_"Of course I am. You've ate my cooking before!"_

_"I thought you ordered everything!"_

_"If that's what you thought, then I can just go order one-"_

_"No! It's fine, I promise! I_ love  _your cooking!"_

_"That's better." Alex smiled as he put the small cake on the table. The lights were turned down low in the apartment. It was just the two of them, along with a digital camera Alex put up on a stand to capture the moment._

_"Is that really necessary?" Doyle pointed at the camera with a frown._

_"I want to capture this memory for later." the blond lit the candles quickly before blowing out the match. He then went over to the camera and put it on a timer. He slid into his seat just before it took the picture (luckily without a flash) and morphed his smile into a grin at the success._

_"Well, aren't you going to blow them out?"_

_"You said you wanted to capture the memory. I want to capture the moment." Doyle slid an arm around Alex and tugged the smaller man onto his lap. This cause Alex to blush, trading Doyle's smile for a grin._

_"Blow the candles out with me, please."_

_"Sure, love." Leaning forward, they blew out the candles. Before letting Alex go, though, or even allowing him to start singing the 'Happy Birthday' song, Doyle captured the blond's lips in a kiss._

_"Thank you for making this the best birthday ever." the redhead whispered, smiling._

_"You're welcome, you lovable oaf." Alex stole a kiss for himself before grabbing Doyle's present, "Now let me go or this will be your only present tonight!"_

* * *

"...happy birthday to you!" As the song ended, the two blinked and shared a look, knowing what the other had been thinking about.

"Well, open it!" Zak urged, pointing at the present.

"Hold your horses, Miniman, I'm getting to it!" Doyle took the Rubik's Cube-sized box into his hand and tore off the ribbon and paper. Underneath was a wooden box with intricate carvings, studded with brass on all of its corners. Turning it over and over, Doyle couldn't see a way to open it or if there was even an opening at all.

"What the heck?"

"It's a puzzle box." Alex explained, standing, "You have to press a certain combination of corners and sides to make it open."

"And where are you going? Aren't you going to help me?!"

"It's your present, your job to solve it. As it is, I'm going to get a peace offering." Alex headed to the kitchen, leaving the family confused.

"What do you think he means by that?" Zak murmured to his mother as Doyle tried to get Doc to help him with the puzzle box. She could only shake her head, her husband looking a little too smug as he turned Doyle down.

"Sorry, but like Alex said, it's your present."

"You love being cruel to me, don't you?"

"No, just stating the facts." Doyle growled, but turned his attention back to his puzzle box. He would solve this! He didn't need any help! Alex then came back in, holding a small bag of ice wrapped in a dishtowel. Kneeling, he offered it to Komodo.

"Sorry about the kick to the jaw." he told the lizard, "Forgive me?" Komodo gave him a hiss, but gratefully took the offering before lumbering away awkwardly.

* * *

After everyone had a piece of cake, the remains were put away in the fridge, and the party was cleaned up, everyone went to bed. At least, Alex and Doyle did. Zak was a bit too high on sugar to go to sleep, as was Fisk (Komodo's jaw hurt too much to eat anything), so his parents had to stay up to keep an eye on them. Zon had been given fish instead of cake, so she was also getting some sleep.

"Still working on that, huh?" the blond remarked, returning to the room after changing into pajamas he had brought along. Doyle was on the bed, very concentrated on his puzzle box. He had created his own micro-adhesive gloves, juiced Doc's microwave, and made a special chemical combo for freezing things. He could solve a simple puzzle box!

"Why a puzzle box?" the redhead asked absent-mindedly.

"I knew how you liked science and puzzles, so I thought a good gift would be something like this. There's also something inside, something you'll like." Doyle finally paused, glancing to Alex. Sitting up, he put the box on his bedside table, beside the photo album. Unlike Alex, he wasn't dressed for bed yet, so focused on the box he didn't think to.

"Thanks, but..." Doyle sighed, "I don't want you to leave or sleep on the floor, but I don't want you to sleep with me just yet."

"I understand, even if it is purely platonic." Alex nodded, "Help me move a guestroom bed in here?" Glancing around, Doyle supposed one would fit in the space, so he nodded and stood.

"Sure." It didn't take long to move the bed and Alex was impressed with Doyle's strength.

"I knew you were strong before, but now you're stronger than ever." he said after they had moved the bed. Doyle gave an embarrassed smile and blush, looking away from the praise.

"Doc's stronger." he said, "Anyway, I'll go change." The redhead didn't wait for a reply and left. He quickly returned, his night clothes much different than Alex's. He wore sweatpants and a sleeveless top while Alex's were longer and more suited to a colder climate.

"You going to be okay sleeping in that?" Doyle asked, a twinge of worry reflected in his eyes.

"I'll be fine." Alex admonished, "I've slept in hotter places than this."

"That's what worries me..." he reached to turn his lamp out, then paused.

"Something wrong?" the Brit asked.

"Well..." Doyle took his hand away from the lap and faced Alex, "You know what I saw when I came in here earlier, and it's bothering me."

"My scars?" The redhead nodded. Alex rubbed his left arm, not quite sure what to tell him, "Just...not much has changed. I go on a mission, I save the day, I get hurt, I'm left with scars. You know the drill."

"Why do you let them use you? With what you've done in the past, they can't do anything to you if you don't want them to. They don't have anything to blackmail you with, do they?"

"It's not about the blackmail. Besides, they don't have any anymore. It's about the lives of others. I can't say I'm not addicted to the thrill of every mission, but without me, Argost would only be an angry kitten compared to what's out there. I'm pretty much the only thing keeping the world form being destroyed and you know that. My skills and the gadgets they give me create a thin wall between peace and chaos. I don't let them use me, I do this so no innocent person has to die. But you're right about one thing." Alex gave a grin, "Unless they want me to quit, they can't do a thing without conforming to my rules. I use that to my advantage every time, unless saving the world is too important."

"..." Doyle was quiet, "...Goodnight, Alex."

"'Night." The light went out, leaving them in darkness except for the light of the moon through a window.

"Thanks for coming. I hope...we can patch things up."

"I hope so too." It was a long time before sleep came to those two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. All the gadgets mentioned in the story are things Doyle created at one time or another.
> 
> 2\. For the extra bed, I imagine it to be a single instead of a double and put in sideways (not lengthwise and against the wall like Doyle's), so it should fit.


	4. Scars (That Will Never Heal In The Way They Should)

_"So you're renting this apartment?" Doyle asked the next day. He hadn't really had time to look around last night, as tired as he was, and had fallen right to sleep as soon as he got to his bed. Now that it was light and he was awake, he had looked around the apartment. It was a high-rise, looking out over much of the city, and was quite fancy-looking. There were at least two couches, a large flat-screen TV, two large bathrooms (one for each bedroom, as there were only two), and so on. Doyle was surprised the apartment didn't take up the entire floor, though it did probably take up at least 1/4th._

_"Sort of." Alex nodded. He was making breakfast while Doyle sat at a small, normal-looking dining table, fit for four, which was the only strange thing in the apartment, "MI6 are the ones paying for it all, so it's technically their's. You don't mind having an English breakfast, do you?"_

_"No, as long as I eat something." Doyle's stomach growled, as if to emphasize the point, making the redhead blush. Alex only shook his head._

_"Let me guess, you lived out on the streets before getting caught?"_

_"Yeah. It's not hard to figure it out, is it?" the redhead knew there was no denying it, "I look like a mess." He certainly did. His hair was mussed and dark from dirt, his pants were torn at the edges and more dirty than his hair. At least his torso was left alone, so he didn't look like a complete ruffian. He didn't know why his captors hadn't cleaned him up before selling him, he had been so dirty and ragged. He also didn't quite remember how long he had lived on the streets, only that it had been as long as he could remember, but no city was his home. He had been all over the US and even to other countries, if he could sneak aboard a flight or cross a boarder._

_"No you don't." Alex countered, looking back at him, "If you just washed yourself a little, you'll be fine. But eat first. I know how it feels to not have anything to eat in days. Dumpster-diving is also one of my many talents, though I don't use it often. You could have also tried to pickpocket someone."_

_"Is that what I smell like?" Doyle was tempted to smell his shirt, but if he smelled like a dumpster, he decided against it, "And I didn't want to pickpocket anyone because I didn't really have anyone to pickpocket. New York isn't exactly a 'pickpocketing' place."_

_"Not really. You smell like a tree and the lighting didn't give a good view of you, so they must have manipulated it to make you look more mysterious and appealing, not to mention spraying you with a cologne or something. Also, you'd be surprised at what you can do in the City That Never Sleeps." The blond gave him a slight smile._

_"I guess they did something right, at least." Doyle rubbed his face, feeling tired though he had just gotten up, "But what about you? How old are you? You're so young..." Alex turned back to cooking._

_"Not really. I'm the same age as you, but my appearance helps me out a lot."_

_"Do you even know how old I am?"_

_"I know everything about you. You're Doyle Blackwell, recently turned 20, lived on the streets all your life and ran away from any foster homes or orphanages that managed to get their hands on you. You're also an excellent pickpocket, fighter, and you've been all over the world through your own methods." Doyle gave him a shocked look and straightened up._

_"How did you-?"_

_"After you went to bed, I asked my CIA buddies. I know that's a breach of your privacy, but it's not like you have much of a background. You would have told me anyway, wouldn't you?"_

_"...You could have just asked me." Alex's face softened at the betrayed look he saw. He knew how it felt more than he could let on._

_"Sorry. It's a force of habit. I had to do it to make sure you weren't a threat. I know I said I would take you in, but I'm also a spy. Survival is one of the top points a spy lives by, the others being gathering information for your employers and teaching yourself new things to help you out. If you were a threat..." the blond shrugged, "I would have probably slit your throat in your sleep." That made Doyle blanch in fright._

_"WHAT?!" he shot out of his chair and picked it up, holding it like a weapon/shield against Alex, "Are you sure you're not just some sort of killer with an identity crisis?!"_

_"Put the chair down and get back in your seat or you're not getting any food." Alex said simply, an edge to his voice, "Right now, I decide your fate. You really want to antagonize me?" Doyle paused, then slowly put the chair down, but he didn't sit. The blond suddenly gave a shiver, as if he had been affected by a chill. Despite the threat Alex had given him, the redhead frowned, concerned for the other male._

_"You okay?"_

_"Yeah, just...forget what I said." Alex shook his head, "If I ever say anything like that again, ignore me, slap me, do whatever to snap me out of that." Doyle frowned deeper, but said nothing. It was at that moment Alex fully turned around, now finished. He looked as young as the redhead remembered seeing from last night, but his eyes seemed harder, not stones but pools of darkness, despite the brown color. Said eyes scanned him for a few moments before the blond smiled slyly._

_"Not exactly an alley cat, but I'll give you some scraps."_

_"Excuse me?" Doyle crossed his arms, but his incredulous air was marred by the smile that forced itself onto his face. Somehow, he knew Alex was only teasing him, but he was also happy the blond hadn't turned him away. How much had he been forced to steal or search garbage for food because people turned him away? Too much for him to count on all four limbs, honestly, and it weighed heavy on him much of the time. He was glad to not have to steal again, even though he might be in the same apartment as a killer._

* * *

_After breakfast (which he was_ sure  _Alex couldn't have made, it was too good to be true), the redhead left to wash and when he returned to his room (as his bathroom was connected to his room, all the rooms had their own bathroom), he found fresh clothes laying on his bed, with a note and a comb laying on top._

"Your old clothes couldn't be revived, no matter how many times I could try to wash and sew them," _said the note,_ "so I went out and got new ones based on their measurements. Hope they fit. -Alex"  _Taking a piece of clothing, Doyle held it up to inspect it. It was a vest and on the lapel of the right side, stitched into it, was the symbol of a white X on a black circle. Glancing at the note again, the redhead saw something on the back and turned it over._

"P.S., you seemed more of a pirate-like guy, so I added the cross on your vest." _He rolled his eyes, but found himself smiling again. There was something about the blond that caught Doyle's attention, but he couldn't figure out what it was. It was something that made him smile though, he knew that for sure. Glancing to the door to make sure it was closed, he dropped his towel and began dressing. He trusted Alex not to look in on him while he was getting dressed simply because, though the blond seemed weird and a spy, he sounded decent enough to let Doyle have his privacy (sometimes, at least. Part of his past had not been given the same treatment...). The clothes fit him perfectly, which was a little creepy, but he ignored it. Alex was letting him stay here, fed him, and even bought him clothes. Despite his secrets, the slight death threat, and being a spy, Alex was his host and trying to make him feel comfortable. He wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, either._

_"What do you think?" he asked when he came out, spotting Alex on one of the sofas. The blond looked back before turning around in his seat and resting his arms on the back of it. He ran his eyes over the redhead quickly before giving a nod._

_"Well, you certainly don't look like a bedraggled cat that went dumpster-diving anymore. Except..." he pointed to his hair and Doyle raised a hand to touch his own._

_"Oh, right." Embarrassed, he went back into his room to comb the mess._

_"By the way," Alex called, staying on the couch, "do you like science or gadgets at all?"_

_"Yeah- OW -I do. I like- OW -both. Why? Did you- OW -do more research on- OW -me?" Doyle wouldn't have been surprised if the other male had._

_"No, but I noticed something when you were looking around earlier, before you came to the kitchen. You found the security panel, examined it, and quickly hid it again. Either you were looking at it out of curiosity or interest, and I doubt the interest is so you can break out." Doyle paused in his painful taming._

_"You saw that? I thought-"_

_"Mirrors. I saw you through the reflections. As it is, I think I know someone you would like to talk to."_

_"You do?" Alex nodded, though Doyle couldn't see him, the door to the guest bedroom being out of sight._

_"His name is Smithers. He's the Gadgeteer at MI6, and I think you and he would get along real well."_

_"I guess, but if he works for MI6, isn't that a bad thing?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"I may not be as perceptive as you, but I notice things. I've noticed how you don't seem to like MI6 by your voice and choice of words, even with the short time I've been with you. If he works with MI6, doesn't that make him one of the bad guys to you?"_

_"Actually, no. He's one of the few kind people in the gray, humanity-less world known as 'spying.'" Alex turned and opened a laptop that he had slid into his lap, "Anyway, whether you like it or not, I'm sending Smithers a coded email so he knows about you and my offer of getting you two to talk science and gadgets."_

_"Do you have no sense of listening to my opinion?"_

_"I listen, I just choose not to obey you." In response, Doyle closed his door and resumed combing his hair, the air being punctured by a muffled 'OW' every so often. Alex just smirked._

* * *

As the two slept, in the bathroom down the hall, the mirror began to glow slightly and wavered like water. Something seemed to come out of it, but the thing could not be seen. Prints could been seen appearing in the carpet of the floor, however, going towards the bedroom. The door didn't creak as it was opened and the invisible thing slid into the room.

It went over to the bedside table and opened a drawer when it didn't see what it wanted on top. Inside the drawer were Doyle's earrings and Alex's necklace. Immediately the necklace was taken, sliding across the wood with a scratching sound before it was hastily lifted out. It froze in midair as Alex frowned and turned in his sleep before settling down again. With a mental sigh of relief, the invisible thing took a look at both earrings, searching for a specific one. Finding the one it wanted, it took it (without allowing it to scrape the wood this time) and closed the drawer without a sound. It then left for the bathroom, closing the bedroom door behind it. Upon arriving in front of the mirror, it paused.

"Sleep peacefully, for after our revenge is accomplished, you both will be sleeping for eternity." It then slid into the mirror, which went back to normal once it was gone.

* * *

"Get up, Peter Pan."

"Shut up." Doyle tugged a pillow over his head as Alex spoke. The blond had just woke up and decided he might as well wake his roommate.

"Don't you realize what I just called you?"

"Peter Pan, I- Wait, Peter Pan?" Doyle moved the pillow away to look at his ex, sitting up as well, "Why call me that again when I still hate you?"

"Do you? Do you really hate me as much as you say? You haven't acted like it." The redhead narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms in a clear defensive gesture.

"I don't need to act like I hate you. Don't bad guys do that all the time?"

"You care about me, I know you do. Even after what happened, I could tell you still cared by looking at your eyes. Don't lie to me." Alex moved from his bed to sit at the end of Doyle's, "I'm not asking for forgiveness or trust right now, I'm asking for kindness. I'm asking to see a spark of the man I once knew, not all of him. I'm not asking to see all of him because I know I can never see him again, and I know what I did hurt you more than anything anyone else could have or has done." The redhead was quiet, meeting his eyes, and Alex could see anger. Anger that the blond dared to use a nickname that used to mean a lot of wonderful things, anger that Alex was pushing for something Doyle wasn't ready to give him yet, but all of that was quickly overridden with sadness. A sadness that, much to Alex's surprise, he couldn't identify.

"...I don't hate you, we talked about that." Doyle said at last, "But I am angry at you, so I can't give you as much kindness as you're asking for. Asking for me to be kind to you right now would be like asking me to forget everything that I'm angry about, and I can't do that. But I can try, because you're my guest this time." A sad smile was given to the blond, "You took care of me for a year, only asking for my help in return. It's my turn to do the same."

"Thank you. And I'm sorry about the nickname. It slipped out at first and I pushed to see if you would remember where and when you were." Doyle raised a hand to ruffle Alex's hair.

"Maybe we can return to the nicknames if we can get back to being lovers." he moved his hand away, but Alex suddenly grasped it. Doyle was about to ask what he was doing when he saw what Alex was looking at. A rough red band circled around the redhead's wrist, standing out against Doyle's skin, and there wasn't just one. There was also a similar band on his other wrist.

"I'm sorry." Alex whispered somberly, looking the saddest the redhead had seen him since he appeared again.

"Don't be. You had no choice and besides, I went along with it."

"I still hurt you."

"You had to if the FBI was going to catch that trafficking ring. I wanted them gone as much as anyone else did, especially since I was almost a victim."

"I'm so sorry." Doyle sighed and tugged Alex close for a hug. The blond was making it pretty hard to be angry right now, but the redhead didn't blame him for being so remorseful. Part of the deal Alex had made when he had saved Doyle was where the heads of the ring came once a month to check on their customers. It helped weed out spies and they could listen for opinions on how to make the business better. It was sick, but it got the job done. And to make sure they didn't suspect him, Alex was forced to create scars and bruises on Doyle. The redhead, as he had said, had gone along with it so the ring could be stopped. The bruises were gone, but he still had the scars. The bands on his wrists were part of it and proof that they had gone through a rough time to get rid of the ring. Why do you think he wore gloves all the time? He was lucky his family didn't know about them, otherwise... Well, he wasn't sure what would happen if they knew, but he certainly didn't want to find out.

"It's alright." the redhead said, trying to soothe Alex. The other man didn't sob, but Doyle could feel the tears wet his shirt. He rubbed the blond's back, but made no sound. It was a while before Alex calmed down, with red eyes and a few lingering tears. And once the blond was calm, Doyle quickly took his gloves from the bedside table and slid them on to avoid Alex crying again. As he did so, he noticed something.

"Unless you got up last night or either of us learned to sleepwalk, someone was in here last night. There are footprints on the carpet." Alex's demeanor switched from sadness to confusion in a second, where he followed Doyle's gaze to the floor.

"I doubt that's happened, and those aren't human prints. They're from a Komodo Dragon." Doyle raised an eyebrow.

"He might eat anything, but why would he come in here late at night?" Alex leaned over and tugged the drawer open. To their horror, Alex's necklace and one of Doyle's earrings were gone. Both began searching in earnest, checking the bedside table and all over the room before they were forced to accept the fact that both items were gone.

"When I get my hands on that-!" Alex had a two-handed hold on Doyle's arm to keep him from doing something he would regret.

"Think rationally first." he advised, "Assuming that we haven't touched the prints, let's look back at them and follow them."

"How? The hallway outside is littered with clawmarks and if it went out my window, there's no chance."

"Of course there is. I make the impossible happen, after all." Alex glanced back and found that the prints were intact, where he began to follow them. They led to the hall, but as Doyle said, it was covered in clawmarks. However, there was a noticable pattern in the marks and he could make out one that stood out from the rest. Most of the marks went from Zak's room to down the hall, but there was a trail that came from Doyle's room and went to the bathroom. Alex followed it, where the trail continued as it led to the sink. Above said sink was a mirror, but no trace of whoever had taken the rings.

"Well?" Doyle poked his head inside.

"Nothing." Alex shook his head, disgusted and angry. The conformation caused the redhead to growl and make a dent in the siding of the doorway with only his hand holding it. No punch, just holding. There was even a sharp CRACK in the air as the wood was bent. Neither man commented on it, though, occupied with the rings as they were.

"When they get up, we'll ask Komodo." the blond said, "And keep your temper in check. We don't want to scare off your family."

"You know as well as I do how much those rings mean to us." Doyle let go of the doorframe, a scowl on his face.

"Of course I do, but nothing can be done right now." Alex was tempted to cross his arms, but refrained from doing so, "And why's that earring so special to you? Would you have done the same if the other one got stolen instead?"

"No, because you gave it to me."

"I never gave you any earrings." Alex was confused.

"When you left me, I changed, both mentally and physically. I didn't want to keep the ring because it was such a hurtful reminder, but I also couldn't let it go, so I had it made into an earring." Doyle touched the lower of the two holes in his ear, "Besides my feelings and the photos, it was the only thing I had left of you. Everything else I got rid of and now, without it, I feel...angry and hurt and sad. Angry and sad at myself that I lost it and hurt that I may not get it back." Alex was quiet, his expression not having changed.

"...When I saw you, I thought you had gotten rid of it because I didn't see it in the obvious places. I kept mine as a reminder that I had to find you again and apologize. I never thought you would have kept your's, especially after seeing how angry you were at me." Alex met his eyes, "But knowing you kept it lets me know that you still kept the memories of our old life. We might not get back together, but we can still hold onto those memories, can't we?" The words caused Doyle to smile.

"I guess we can. Now, let's get dressed before we interrogate that handbag." Alex gave a small chuckle but followed Doyle back to his room, wondering who had stolen their engagement rings and how to tell Doc and Drew how Doyle managed to damage the doorframe of the bathroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Both Doc and Doyle are stronger than a normal person, anyone can see that, which is how he broke the doorframe so easily.
> 
> 2\. Alex's past sometimes causes him to say things reminiscent of the villains he once fought, which was what caused him to shiver.
> 
> 3\. A thing I want to point out is how the trafficking ring managed to make a profit on Doyle, despite how he looked. If you change the lighting and add a few effects, then you can easily make someone look like someone else, such as making a bad man look prettier than he actually is.


	5. Keepsakes (That Show You I'll Never Leave)

When Komodo entered the dining room, he was assaulted with feelings of animosity. Not physically, but he could certainly feel the glare Doyle was giving him. Alex only gave him a cold look, but he was mostly looking away from the giant lizard. Komodo knew that it was nearly useless to try talking, since most didn't understand him, including Doyle and Alex, so he decided to try and defend himself when Zak could be there to translate. It was the only way he could get a fair trial and, judging by the looks he was getting, Komodo knew he would need it. He even hid behind his brother as soon as Zak entered the room, not really nervous but not really brave, either.

"What's going on?" Zak rubbed his tired eyes, glancing between his lizard brother, Alex, and his uncle. He noticed that Doyle wasn't wearing both earrings, like usual, and it was slightly jarring. He had never seen his uncle without the earrings, let alone just with one.

"My necklace and one of Doyle's earrings were stolen last night." Alex spoke, "Based on evidence, we think Komodo might have something to do with it." Komodo shook his head and hissed, insisting he didn't do it. In fact, he had only gotten up this morning! Doyle opened his mouth, ready to retort, but Alex help up a hand.

"Not yet." the blond turned back to Zak, "Well? What's Komodo's alibi?"

"He says he didn't do it. I should know, he was sleeping on my bed all night." the boy answered, feeling that he should stand up for his brother. Something then occurred to Doyle, stopping his glaring.

"The mirror..." he straightened up from where he had been leaning on the dining room table, "No, it couldn't be, could it?"

"What is it?" Alex asked.

"Zak, wasn't the Aztec Smoke Mirror destroyed?" Recognition at what Doyle was implying flashed in Zak's and Komodo's eyes.

"We tried, but the French wouldn't let us have it. You don't think it could be the Mondays, do you?"

"What other explanation is there?"

"This is not good, this is so not good!" Komodo hissed his agreement to Zak's words while Alex was left in the dark.

"What are you talking about?" his eyes flicked between each of the three.

"The Aztec Smoke Mirror was an artifact that Zak and the others found during one of the times I was away from them." Doyle said, "It can transport people between this world and the Anti-Matter World, where everything is opposite from here."

"And the Mondays would be evil counterparts to the Saturdays?" Alex got nods for his correct deduction, "But then what would they want with our rings?"

"I don't know." Zak shrugged, "But whatever it is, I do know one thing: They probably want to get revenge for their son."

"Zak Monday? Why? Did someone kill him?"

"Argost did in his quest for power." Doyle answered, "Nearly killed our Zak, too."

"But then how are you alive?" Alex looked to the boy, "If Monday died, then you should have, too, since you're opposites of one another. You were both the same person, even in different worlds, so you should have been connected. Whatever happens on one side of the mirror should affect the other side, right?" The other two males had to admit, the blond had a point. Komodo, however, growled and wrapped his tail protectively around one of Zak's legs.

"Maybe it's because of Kur?" the dark-skinned child suggested, "I mean, think about it. I was the reincarnation of Kur and so was he. Zak Monday died because Argost took his version of Kur, but maybe we were wrong. I managed to survive without my Kur, so maybe he did too."

"If that's what happened, then it still doesn't explain why the Mondays want our rings." Doyle murmured, leaning on the table again, "How do they even know about Alex?" Komodo hissed again and Zak translated.

"He says to think about Alex's words on the mirror. 'What happens on one side affects the other.'"

"Then maybe the other Doyle encountered the other me." the blond man said, "And if that other world is as nasty as you say it is, I have the feeling that version of Doyle and myself aren't so kind. They might even have a hand in whatever is going on." The spy also had a dark feeling of something he hadn't felt in years, a foreboding sense that he had only felt when he was 14 and 15. if he was right about the feeling, then they could be in deeper trouble than they ever imagined...

"They could have stolen the rings because they know the value they are to us, but why go to all this trouble?" the redhead questioned.

"We may have no choice but to wait and see what they do to understand."

"Do we have to?" Zak, Komodo, and Doyle didn't look happy at the prospect.

"Unless we want them to tip their hand, then yes." Alex stood from his chair, "As it is, do you guys want breakfast?" Those words brightened Zak's and Komodo's faces.

"Yeah!"

"Okay, give me a minute." Alex left the room and went to the kitchen, smiling.

"I'm going to go get my puzzle box."

"No puzzle boxes at breakfast!" Zak couldn't help but laugh as his uncle pouted childishly at the words.

"He's got you there!" the dark-skinned boy giggled, "Mom and Dad would have a fuss if you brought it, so he's just saving you the trouble!"

"Miniman, shut up."

* * *

After Drew & Doc had woken up (they had been awake until 1 trying to keep an eye on Zak), Fisk joined them, Zon was fed, Alex made breakfast, explained to them about the doorway ("It was an accident!" Doyle said, but the glares he was getting from his sister and brother-in-law weren't letting up), and talks had been made about the missing rings (Zak's parents wanted to go out immediately and see what they could do to stop the Mondays, but Alex managed to halt them. He also wondered if this was where his ex and Zak got their stubbornness from), everyone finally settled down to eat.

Things weren't to last, however, as the blond got a call in the middle of it all. After pulling out his vibrating phone (he always put it on silent, having it on RING was deadly), he gained an angry look. Standing, he left the room without a word, not meeting anyone's eyes. Doyle was struck with the familiarity of it all and his heart began to ache. He knew what was going to happen, much to his chagrin, and hated every single moment that Alex was gone.

* * *

_It had been a few days since that first day and Alex had laid out several rules: One, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES leave the apartment without Alex (with the only exceptions being natural disasters or a fire). Two, do whatever the blond said without question, no matter how ridiculous or creepy (a few pranks had been pulled because of this rule already, though Doyle was learning the difference between Serious and Silly Alex quickly). Three, if he needed something and Alex wasn't there, call Smithers or one of the numbers the blond had put up on the fridge._

_Speaking of Smithers, Doyle and the operative had hit it off well and the redhead was trying to build his first invention to impress the older man. Alex only shook his head at their antics. One day, though, the laptop pinged and Smithers wasn't calling for Doyle._

_"I see." Alex nodded, the headphones clamped to his ears as he spoke into a mouthpiece, "Yeah, I'll get to it as long as it doesn't take more than a week. I can't have them suspecting me. You have a holographic thing I could use to fool them?" He suddenly gave a soft whistle, "Really? It's in the laptop? What does it do and how do I activate it?" The redhead was off to the side, listening to Alex's side of the conversation. Doyle could guess that the blond was going on a mission, but what did a hologram have to do with it? When Alex closed the laptop and took off the headphones, he decided to ask. There were still a few things about their "arrangement" he didn't understand._

_"A mission?"_

_"Yeah, and I can't leave you alone for long or else the ring will get suspicious. They're observing us, you know." the spy gave a grin, "But Smithers knows a way around it. There's a hologram of me just doing stuff around the apartment and all that needs to be done is to activate the program. You do that while I'm gone and no one will get suspicious."_

_"But what about when you leave? Won't they think something's up when they see you here?"_

_"FBI and MI6 have it covered." he stood, "As it is, I'm going to be away for a while, a week at the most."_

_"Can you tell me?"_

_"No." Alex paused, "And speaking of that, I think you need to sign the Official Secrets Act with how much you know. But that'll have to wait until after the ring is caught."_

_"When do you leave?"_

_"Now." the blond headed to his room, "There's enough food in the kitchen to last you the week, the numbers are on the fridge, you can still talk to Smithers while the hologram is running, make sure to turn it off every night,keep the computer charged, and don't leave the apartment."_

_"Why are they pulling you out temporarily?" Doyle peeked his head into the room, watching as Alex emptied drawers into a small suitcase._

_"Something's come up in Brazil and they know I'm the only one who can deal with it. And make sure the First Aid cabinet is stocked." Doyle raised an eyebrow, a worried look entering onto his face._

_"Do you get hurt when you go on missions?"_

_"Always. Hopefully, this time I don't have to go to the hospital." Alex grimaced, "More often than not I go there and MI6 has to pull a few strings to keep people from asking questions."_

_"I'll make sure to visit you." the redhead tried to keep it light with a joke._

_"Stay in the apartment, Peter Pan." Alex knew it was a joke, but still gave him a look. Doyle noticed that the blond had been calling him that for a while now, since the day after they had that first breakfast together. The other male said he called Doyle that nickname because the redhead was like a Lost Boy himself. Yet, had that only been a week ago and Alex now had to leave?_

_"Sure, just be careful." The other snorted._

_"I always do, but that's not always what the villains want, now is it?"_

_"I mean it. I don't want you to die." Alex looked up from packing, zipping and clamping the case closed with a few swift movements._

_"I know. I can't promise anything, though, so give me something to hold onto, something to help keep my promise to come back." Doyle blinked in surprise at the statement._

_"Er, I don't really have-"_

_"It doesn't have to be from you, anything at all will do."_

_"Alright..." Doyle tried to quickly think of something Alex could take with him. Getting an idea, he went to his room and brought back a orange cloth bag._

_"A pillowcase?"_

_"You said anything would do."_

_"I did, didn't I?" Alex shook his head with a smile, "If I come back alive with this, then you know I kept my promise. If it comes back without me... Well, you know the rest." He lifted the cloth over his head and tied it around his neck like an ascot. Doyle suddenly began to chuckle before it became full-blown laughter. Alex rolled his eyes, understanding why Doyle was laughing so much, and gave a pat to the other man's head as he left the room, suitcase in hand._

_"I'll try to send you a postcard!" he called just before he left the apartment._

* * *

"Not again..." he whispered and ran a hand through his hair, resting his forehead against his other hand while his eyes closed. He was losing Alex again, and this time the spy might not come back. It scared the ex-mercenary more than he cared to admit, more than the admission about Argost and that was saying something.

"This has happened before, hasn't it?" Drew could read him like a book and she wasn't wrong. Doyle could only nod in confirmation, his sadness closing off his voice. She pat his upper arm in reassurance, but it didn't help much. He only looked up again when Alex came back into the room, sliding his phone into his pocket. The blond had an even more sour look on his face and the others tried to avoid looking him in the eye. Doyle didn't avoid it at all.

"How long?" he asked his ex.

"A week at the least. I don't have to leave until tomorrow." Alex took his seat once again and jabbed his food hatefully, "I'd curse them all right now, but I don't want Zak to learn any new words."

"Hey!" the boy was indignant until the blond directed his angry look to him. Zak quietly and quickly backed down then. It was a wonder to him how Doyle could stand such a mean look. Probably had practice, most likely.

"Anything else?" Doyle wanted to know so he wouldn't find himself pining for Alex.

"I'll be coming back." the blond knew exactly what the redhead was thinking.

"How do I know that for sure?"

"Give me something and when it comes back, I'll be with it." Alex tried to smile, but it didn't convey the right feelings, "Like old times."

"As if what I gave you was a good luck charm." Doyle snorted and looked away. Alex sighed.

"Let's talk about it later, then. We've got all day, after all."

* * *

Doyle watched from the bed as Alex sat across from him, on his own bed. They were locked in a staring contest, though the looks weren't intense. Doyle was tired and resigned while Alex was unreadable. The rest of the Saturdays knew to leave them alone, but Zak and his brothers couldn't help but listen in. Drew and Doc were trying to track down the Mondays and find a way to borrow the Aztec Smoke Mirror (which was very unlikely, as they had nearly been banned from France altogether after the fiasco).

"Even if I give you something, how do I know you'll return?" Doyle questioned, arms crossed.

"Every time you have, I've come back. It didn't happen when I left because you didn't give me anything. Why are you so against this?"

"I'm not. I just know that if you leave, what happened between us might happen again. I waited for you for  _two weeks_ , but you didn't come back. I was going to wait as long as I could, but then the trafficking ring came knocking and I had no choice. I disguised myself and left, and I guess I gave up on you around that time. You might have taught me more things than Van Rook ever did and we fell in love, but you couldn't always keep a promise. I always worried that you wouldn't come back for some reason or another, and my greatest fears came true that day."

"I never left you, my mission just took longer than I thought it would. And how did you manage to disguise yourself and leave?"

"I learned from the best." The corners of Doyle's lips twitched upward as he spoke, "Why do you think I have a mohawk-mullet haircut?"

"So that's why your hair looks so bad."

"Hey, it  _grew_ on me!" Alex grinned as he struggled to keep his laughter in.

"Don't start with the puns, your puns are horrible."

"Technically that was a joke."

"At least you stopped." Alex's expression lessened into a smile, then a frown, "But what will it take for you to trust me to come back?" Doyle also took on a hard look.

"Give me something that means a lot to you. I kept giving you things so you would keep your promise, so let's switch it this time. If I have something that means as much the world to you as I did, it gives me some reassurance that you'll come back." The blond man nodded and took out his wallet, where he brought out a photo. It was old, older than the ones Doyle had, but hadn't lost its color. In the picture was a much younger Alex and a redheaded woman who seemed to be a little older than him. Doyle had seen the picture a few times and was surprised when the spy held it out for him to take.

"Keep it safe." The redheaded male glanced up at Alex's face, then slowly nodded and took the photo.

"You must really want to prove to me that you can come back if you're giving me this."

"I trust you to keep it in good condition, so now you have to trust me to come back." Doyle nodded, fear now in his eyes. Fear for Alex's safety, maybe? It was most likely, besides the fear that Alex might leave him willingly again.

"Just come home soon, please."

"I will. I  _promise_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Doyle changed so he could hide away and he hasn't gone back to his old look since.
> 
> 2\. Doyle and Smithers are good inventing buddies.
> 
> 3\. Both Alex and Doyle have terrible trust issues, which makes their close relationship surprising.


	6. E-Mails and Skills

"You must really be worried for Alex." Doyle gave a sigh, not really answering his sister. It had only been a day since Alex left and he felt lovesick. He knew he had fallen for the Brit pretty hard, but it wasn't until he was forced to leave the first time that Doyle realized how hard. Alex's reappearance and mission leave had reawakened those feelings, as well as the hurt. The hurt that Alex had left him,  _abandoned_  him, but Doyle knew it wasn't case. Yet the knowledge still didn't stop his heart from feeling betrayed.

"It's happened before." Doyle spoke, "But the best I can hope for is just for him to come back."

"Why did he have to leave, then? He told you he wasn't going to leave again, right?" Drew took a sat beside her brother on his bed, glancing at the picture in his hand. She wasn't sure, but it looked like a teenage Alex was there with a girl with red hair as bright as her brother's.

"He's off to save the world. He doesn't have to do it, but he does. He always has a choice, and sometimes the lives of thousands of people are worth more than my single one." Drew blinked, surprised at the statement.

"...If he has a choice, then why did he leave you the first time?" Doyle finally looked at her for the first time and there was a heavy sadness in his eyes.

"Mission. Remember what I said about lucky charms at breakfast?" When Drew nodded, he continued, "Usually I gave him something to hold onto to make sure he came back in one piece. But one time he had to leave while I was asleep and he didn't take anything. He didn't come back for over two weeks and I was forced to leave. Originally, I was just a civilian that got caught in a sting." he gave a sad smile and looked away, "But over the course of a year I fell for him and he taught me a lot of things, including the basics of martial arts and various languages. After we separated, I taught myself more about those skills before I met Van Rook. If it wasn't for the fact he was paying me, I would have been running his business the second we met."

"Why did you join him, anyway?"

"Low on money. Needed a job. He actually came to me and asked if I would be his new apprentice." Doyle smirked, "Threw him into a wall before I said yes. Alex would've been proud." His smirk dropped as he mentioned his ex and he sighed again.

"Don't mope around all week, at least. You still have to train Zak, you know."

"I do, just give me a day to get back on my feet." the redhead rubbed his eyes, "Think of it as if you had to stay home while Doc was away for a week. That's how it feels to me. I miss him, Drew, and I don't know why." Shaking her head, his sister put a hand on his shoulder.

"You still love him and you fear for his safety. As much as you say you don't, your heart tells the truth. Don't fight it." Doyle gave a slight smile.

"Thanks, sis."

"I'm always here for you. Never forget that." With a small pat to his shoulder, Drew stood and left him alone. Doyle waited a few second before taking out a laptop from under his bed. Not exactly a safe place for it, but he wasn't worried. He rarely used the thing except for research and sending emails, which he was doing now. He opened his email to find a single new one, with read ones in an endless list underneath. All the mail was from a single person named Dylan. Some of the mail was even from several years ago, so he had known the person for a long time.

 _Something wrong?_  the new email read,  _Is there a disturbance in the Force? You haven't talked in a while._  Doyle chuckled and typed a response.

 _No, nothing's wrong. I just met someone I haven't seen in a long time._  To his surprise, he was immediately answered.

_How long?_

_Before you._

_Wow. He must be old._  Doyle huffed to himself.

_Who gave you the right to be snarky?_

_You did. Now, who is he?_

_How do you even know it's a guy?_

_You tried a girl, she betrayed you. Guys are your safe haven._

_Point taken. Anyway, it's Alex._

_Alex? You mean the guy who_ abandoned  _you?!_

_He didn't abandon me, it was just a misunderstanding on my part._

_That's what he's trying to make you believe, I bet!_ Doyle rubbed his face in exasperation. Before he could complete his response, Dylan continued,  _ _D_ ON'T TRUST HIM._

_He's not as bad as I made you think. I was just so mad at him at times and vented it out to you, but he's not that bad. He's actually a pretty good guy and he's taught me a lot. Now, what about you?_

_I'll let it go this time, but you aren't changing the subject next time! Anyway, I made a new device today. Paint bomb with a radius of 20 feet._

_Who'd you test it on?_ Doyle was grinning, picturing the devastation of the paint bomb.

 _You mean WHAT. It's going to take_ years _to get those splatters out of the Girls' bathroom walls. But it was an improvement from the dreary gray, so I didn't get punished too much!_

_Good for you!_

_And another thing...When are you coming back for me?_ Doyle's fingers hovered over the keyboard hesitantly.

 _Soon._  he typed,  _I'm not abandoning you, but give me a little more time._

_I've got until my 13th birthday, a little less than 2 years. I want to go home._

_I know, but there really isn't a home to go to yet. I love you._

_Love you too, Dad._ Doyle closed the email and sat back against the headboard. His heart was now aching worse than when he had turned on the laptop, but it was worth it. Closing it, he decided to go back to the puzzle box. Nothing about a puzzle box could tear at his heart, he knew that for sure.

* * *

"Hey." Zak poked his head into the room before swiftly pulling back. The puzzle box clunked off the side of the doorway, landing heavily on the floor. Zak picked it up and examined it for any damage as he came inside.

"I don't think I've ever known anyone as lovesick as you are, let alone anyone that's been lovesick." Doyle glared at him.

"Try it sometime with Wadi, then. See how it feels."

"Hey, I didn't come to start a fight! I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Not very well, if you can't tell."

 _Yeesh, he never did this when he was with Abbey._ "Then why don't you go out for a bit? Like we could watch some Weird World together or you could go off on one of your mysterious trips!"

"Not today, Zak." Doyle looked away. Frustrated, Zak hefted the box and threw it at his uncle. Doyle caught it without even a glance backward and somehow the boy didn't feel surprised.

"Who taught you how to do that?"

"Taught me what?"

"How to catch something without looking at it." The redhead blinked and looked down at the box in his hand. He hadn't even noticed.

"Alex, I guess." Doyle put the box on the bedside table, "It was one of the many things he taught me. In fact, most of what I learned came from him and the training I continued to do after we separated. Very little I learned from Van Rook." Finding that he was getting his uncle to open up a bit, Zak took a seat at the end of Doyle's bed. Alex's had been untouched since he left.

"Like what? Do you have photos of those things in your book?"

"Sort of." The man took the book from the table and turned around so they could both take a look. Doyle opened the book and he began showing Zak his memories.

"The first one here is from the camera that was in Alex's computer, back when we first met."

"Why are you crouched like that?"

"I was on the ceiling and trying not to fall."

"...How did you get on the ceiling?" Doyle flexed his glove-covered hand.

"Micro-adhesive gloves and boots." Zak noticed a difference.

"Your gloves back then are different from the ones you have now." The ones Doyle was wearing in the picture stood out against the tan ceiling, being colored green, "Your boots are also different."

"I was experimenting and I destroyed them after Alex and I separated. It was only after I met Van Rook that I recreated the gloves. They also had a lot more grip strength, which let me stick to the ceiling. In fact, this picture was taken shortly after Alex came home after going shopping." Doyle grinned, "I scared him half to death, even though he won't admit it now."

"And why do you look so different?" Zak thought that the long, no-mohawk hair and earringless ears looked weird on his uncle.

"I used to look that way before I left. How I look now was originally a disguise, but it grew on me and I never thought to change it. You're going to see my old look throughout the whole album, so get used to it." Zak nodded and smiled, glad that he managed to make his uncle happy, if for a short time.

* * *

_Doyle crawled along the ceiling. He had the laptop open and the video chat up to show Smithers his first invention._

_"What do you think?" he asked, stretching a hand out before placing it back on the ceiling. He felt like Spiderman, in a way._

_"Brilliant, my boy! Your micro-adhesive would be a wonderful gadget for other agents!" Doyle smiled at the praise, though there was a slight blush on his cheeks. That could also be from the blood rushing to his head, but he wasn't sure. He'd been on the ceiling for a while now, demonstrating his inventions._

_"I could give you the chemical formula. This is just a prototype, though. So far, I've put the liquid on my gloves and shoes and when it dries, it acts like a gecko's suction pads. It's really strong, but it doesn't take much to take my hand off." Doyle removed his hand from the ceiling and waved at the computer, "See?"_

_"Perfect!" Smithers clapped, "Maybe after you perfect it you could send it to me. Several agents would love to have something like what you've got."_

_"Doyle?" The front door opened and closed. Doyle looked back, though he couldn't see Alex. He was demonstrating in the living room, which was out of sight of the front door._

_"In here!" Alex followed Doyle's voice but found nothing except the open laptop._

_"Smithers, have you been making decoy recordings again?"_

_"No, my boy! Just look up!" Alex did and jumped, hand flying to a jacket pocket before he realized it was Doyle, not a threat. That didn't keep him from cursing, though._

_"Um, sorry for scaring you?" The redhead gave a sheepish grin. Alex took a deep breath before going to the kitchen._

_"Oh my, he's giving you the cold shoulder." Smithers pointed out, "He'll be fine in a day or two, but he won't talk to you until then."_

_"I noticed." Doyle sighed. At least his invention worked._

* * *

It had been a little over a week since Alex was forced to leave and Doyle wasn't moping anymore. He did get sad still, but not to the point he wouldn't do anything. Zon had noticed this as the man continued to train his nephew, mostly outside with survival skills being the main point. But it was what happened that night that made the Pterosaur really worried.

She was woken up as a branch snapped below. Still sleepy, she looked around, curious at what had made the sound. She chanced to look over the side of her nest and below, she could see a figure approaching. Deja vu filling her, she watched as the figure stumbled closer and suddenly, she could smell blood in the air. The figure wasn't trying to invade the home, they were injured! Opening her wings, she went down to examine them. Though her eyes were made to see in the daylight, there was still enough light from the moon to see who it was, where she was ready to squawk in surprise.

"Don't." the figure hissed painfully. She kept her mouth shut, but trilled sadly as she saw what state he was in. She raised an arm to help keep him steady, which he took gratefully.

"Please, go get Doyle. He knows what to do." Zon nodded, but before she left, she helped him get over to a nearby tree. Once she was sure he was leaning against it, she took off and went to get Doyle. She flew until she was at the window to his bedroom and tapped on it with her beak. Inside, she saw him sit up and rub his eyes before blinking, giving her a confused look as he came over.

"What is it, Jurassic?" he asked after he opened the window. Zon held out her arm and wing, where the figure had bled on her. Doyle's eyes widened and his hand felt the blood before he looked at her, "Where is he?" She took off and waited for him to put on his jetpack and follow before she led him back to the site. She landed a few feet away and watched and Doyle silently looked over the bleeding man. Instead of asking Zon to go notify the rest of the family, Doyle took the man into his arms and flew back to his room.

Not sure what else to do, as she was wide awake, the pterosaur followed. She landed on the window and watched as Doyle laid the man on Alex's bed before leaving the room. He soon came back with First-Aid supplies and began treating the man and, with the window still open, Zon listened in.

"Dumba**." Doyle cursed as he tugged the man's upper body onto his lap. The bleeding man smiled, though one eye was forced closed by swelling on the right side of his face. Blood was trickling out of a large cut near his hairline as well.

"Yeah, but I have to be if I'm going to save the world, right?"

"Give me the list." The bleeding man sighed.

"Bruised—possibly broken—ribs, possible concussion, punch to the eye, large cuts to the head and leg, and possible sprained wrist."

"You fell on your side from a great height, didn't you?"

"What do you think?" The man gave a hiss of pain as Doyle ran his hand along the man's right side. When Doyle pressed down, the hissing increased, but the bleeding man didn't cry out.

"They're not broken, otherwise you would have gasped." The redhead took some cotton balls and began dabbing at the blood coming from the man's head, "Just make sure not to go to sleep until I can tell if you have a concussion."

"I know." the man muttered, eyes sliding closed, "I know." His eyes jerked open as Doyle pressed his side again.

"If you go to sleep, I will strange you when you wake up." the redhead hissed in fury and fear, "So don't."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Dylan is an important OC, but not right at the moment.


	7. Returning in Pain (With More Than Just What You Can See)

Doc found himself getting slightly worried when he woke up to not see Doyle anywhere. Usually, this was a very good thing otherwise, but he knew Doyle always woke up before anyone else because of his training, so it was strange to be the first one up for once. But, since he didn't like the redhead, Doc wasn't worried too much.

But as his thoughts were on Doyle, he wondered why the redhead being in love with Alex didn't bother him. Growing up, Doc knew his family hadn't exactly been pro-gay, but he had also learned to treat others as equals. Unless they got on your nerves. Which Doyle did. Continuously. But now, after Argost was gone, Doc found the ex-mercenary quite tolerable.

The only thing that had really shocked him (besides Doyle's unbelievable stories) was the revelation of Alex and his connection to the redhead. It was hard to imagine such a cocky man having fallen in love with someone so intelligent, but after a while, Doc understood. Alex had a smart mouth, was sarcastic much of the time, sneakier than an invisible Komodo, and had so many secrets you could practically smell them a mile away. Yet Doyle seemed to complement him nicely, somehow, and they were a good match.

And yet there was one thing about their relationship that Doc didn't quite understand: How did they manage to fall in love and get engaged over the course of a single year? He had known of whirlwind romance (Doyle trying to seduce Abbey in one week was testimony to that), but even that was a bit much for him. Though, considering how puppy-like Doyle had been when he was with Abbey (following her everywhere, giving her endless gifts), Doc had to admit Alex's and Doyle's relationship wasn't too far-fetched. Had Doyle acted the same way while they were together? It was a wonder how Alex managed to stand him, then.

But maybe that wasn't it. Doyle had lost Alex in a very emotional way, apparently, so maybe his needy-ness with Abbey had been an act to keep her from leaving him. Reflecting back on how he had fired Doyle for putting Zak in danger with the Owlman, Doc winced. Doyle must have been hurt by the rejection pretty badly, since it came from his new-found family. It must have hurt even worse upon considering how he had been left 13 years ago by his first love. Doc was now glad that he didn't have to go through the same emotional heartbreak/rollercoaster, though Zak may have to.

"Professor?" The tan man looked up to see Doyle in the doorway to the kitchen. Instantly the scientist's eyes were attracted to the blood that stained Doyle's shirt and pants. As there were no cuts, it wasn't the redhead's blood, but it was still troubling.

"What happened?" Doc asked, a worried edge coming into his voice. The other male looked tired, as if he had stayed up all night.

"Just need to borrow some of your clothes. You also need to stock up on medical supplies, since I cleaned out most of what you had." Doyle covered his mouth as he yawned, showing that he had certainly not gotten much, if any sleep. Doc nearly choked on his coffee at that.

"How?! There was enough there to treat three adults!"

"Alex isn't a regular guy." The mention of the name made Doc go quiet.

"...How is he?"

"Better." Doyle rubbed his forehead as he leaned against the doorway, "Not the first time he's come back injured, but he still worries the h*ll out of me every time he leaves. But there's nothing I can do, since his employers will blackmail him with me if I try."

"They have no right to do that."

"Yeah, but they're spies. They do what they want to get what they want, no morals to be thought of. And if a terrorist group hacks the computers and manages to get info on me, they'll come after me to get to Alex." Doyle met Doc's eyes, a tired and resigned light shining in them, "You guys are in the picture now, too, so they might also come after you. I found you and I don't want to lose you again, not after what happened with Alex. I can't  _ever_ let that happen again."

"Go check on him before you stress yourself too much." Doc advised, "You look like you might collapse at any second."

"Alright." Doyle nodded without a fight, "Just help me and Jurassic keep an eye on him, will you?"

"Of course." Doc watched as Doyle staggered silently back to his room after the confirmation and just wondered how many secrets the Saturdays were going to uncover if Alex continued to stay with them.

* * *

A hand slammed down on the desk, causing an old woman to look up. She was met with the faces of a woman, man, giant lizard, and gorillacat-thing, all of which looked quite angry. The old woman was unfazed with their anger, though.

"You're the one who can create Soulstones, correct?" the giant lizard asked, "We'd like you to make these rings into Soulstones." The younger woman, who had slammed her hand on the desk, lifted said hand to reveal two shining rings underneath. One was gold and engraved with a hinge to it while the other was simply copper.

"For what purpose?" asked the old woman as she held up the rings to examine them.

"Revenge." growled the younger woman, "How much will it be?"

"Depends on the birth months of these two."

"September for the gold one, March for the copper." the lizard said.

"Interesting combination. You don't see many combinations like that these days. Since it's so rare, I'll ask for the small price of 1,000 euros."

"Deal." The younger woman gestured forward and the man put a bag on the table that clinked loudly.

"How long until they will be done?" the lizard asked again.

"A few days. Who should I make the order out to?"

"The Mondays." said the young woman, "And make sure the curse is extra strong."

* * *

Alex was used to getting hurt, so this was nothing. He even felt happy that Doyle was the one taking care of him. Hearing the door open, he looked up with his good eye to see Doyle come in. Zon had gone back to her nest shortly before the sun came up after watching them all night, so now it was just the two of them.

"How are you doing?" Doyle asked Alex sat up and winced, his side hurting. His wrist was wrapped tightly, having been sprained, while his head and leg were wrapped in bandages. A cold compress had been taped over his eye to help with the swelling, as well as a few more for the right side of his face. He also had a concussion, so he had to stay awake all night until it was safe for him to go to sleep.

"Better. At least I'm not in danger of bleeding out." Doyle sat beside him and began changing out the compresses, as well as checking his concussion. He noticed as Alex's skin became pale and grabbed a bucket. He gave it to Alex, who threw up. There wasn't much to throw up, though, as the blond hadn't eaten in a few days.

"Still have the concussion, I see. Are you tired or drowsy?"

"Not as much as before." Doyle frowned.

"Did you take a nap?"

"No. I'm used to staying up for days on end, so this means that my concussion's gotten better."

"Well, your eyes are back to being the same size, so I think so. The throwing up, though, worries me. It's one of the symptoms of one, unless you somehow got sick."

"Pretty sure I haven't." Doyle took the bucket from him and put it aside, noting to clean it later. He also changed his bloodied clothes quickly so that no one would be shocked if they saw him (besides Doc, who had already seen him, but there was no way to change that now unless he could somehow find a way to erase Doc's memory of the last 10 minutes).

"Let me get you some water." The redhead left again and Alex found himself alone. He knew it was probably a bad idea to try and think about things, but he knew he had to send a mission report soon. Otherwise MI6 might come looking for him, and he couldn't let that happen. They couldn't know about Doyle or the Saturdays, they just couldn't. Getting uneasily to his feet, he began looking around the room and soon spotted a computer under the bed. Alex took it with him back to his bed and opened it. It was locked with a password and the Brit typed in the first thing that came to mind: his name. Instantly the computer allowed him in and he resisted rolling his eyes.

Inside, Doyle's email was pulled up and a new message had come in. Leaving the tab alone, Alex opened a new window and proceeded to open his own email (that had a different address each time to throw off enemies) and begin his report. He managed to send it, exit the window, and close the computer when Doyle came in. The ex-mercenary's eyes narrowed when he saw the laptop on Alex's lap.

"Were you looking at my stuff?"

"No, just sending a report." Alex put the computer aside and took the glass gratefully. Doyle understood, so he didn't ask further.

"Can you tell me what happened?" he asked, sitting on his own bed.

"Now that it's over, I guess it wouldn't hurt." Alex thought back a little, "Well, a Snakehead spin-off group had been set up there, so I had to go get rid of it. And if Snakehead was a part of it, I knew Scorpia couldn't be far behind. I was caught just as I had revealed the group to Rio De Janeiro authorities, so they kidnapped me and tortured me a bit. I managed to escape, as you can see, and I got here with some help from my friends." the blond man sighed, "Being thrown off the top of the Christ the Redeemer statue isn't to be taken lightly."

"How did they even get up there?"

"Helicopter. At least they only threw me off once before I escaped."

"How did you even  _survive_? The statue is nearly 100 feet tall!"

"Rider's luck, I guess." Alex shrugged, "I've been through worse."

"I actually don't find that hard to believe." Doyle yawned.

"Get some sleep." the blond advised, "You're not used to staying up like I am."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not." Alex stood, wincing at the pressure he put on his bad leg.

"Alex-!" Doyle shot up to make his ex sit back down, but the other male shook his head.

"Don't. If you won't go to bed, I'll make you." The look in Alex's jasper eyes assured Doyle that he was serious.

"...At least sit down, then. And though your concussion's gone, that doesn't mean I can't stay up with worry." The Brit sat beside Doyle on the redhead's bed, the hard look changing to a gentle one.

"Trust me. Please." Alex's voice was quiet, almost begging.

"I do, but I love you and I want you to be safe." Doyle put a hand on Alex's head, "Even though we're apart now, that doesn't mean I can't stop loving you and that love causes me to worry. I'm going to stay up until I know you're going to be okay."

"Could we look through some memories, then?" The redhead smiled and nodded, grabbing the album. He laid back, as did Alex. Doyle propped him up with an arm just to make sure Alex wouldn't fall, though it felt slightly uncomfortable due to their relationship status. Alex took the offer gratefully and laid in the crook of his ex-fiance's arm, though he made sure not to lean on Doyle too much. Together they began looking through the album, remembering each and every picture as if it were yesterday. It may have been 13 years, but it certainly didn't feel like it.

* * *

"Tell me a little more about him." Alex suddenly asked when they were nearing the end.

"Who?" Doyle asked, eyes going to the blond.

"The one who gave you the book. Van Rook, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." Doyle closed the book and set it aside, "He was like a father to me, in a way. He wasn't nice, no way, but he treated me like the son he never had. He was a cheapskate, but he bought the photo album for me after he noticed the pictures. He also comforted me a little if I got sad and he gave me my space when I needed it. But it's not like that matters now, does it?" the redhead smiled sadly, "He saved Drew's life by giving his own and I'm thankful for that, but I miss him terribly sometimes."

"Is that why you slowed down when we neared the end?" Alex grabbed the album with his good hand and opened the end. The book had been filled to the brim, with much of the pictures being from 13 years ago, but a few pages had more recent pics. The very last one was of a funeral and a headstone, both commemorating Leonidas Van Rook. Tucking in with those pictures was the one Alex had given to Doyle before he left. The blond left the picture alone as he glanced up to see Doyle's face. Silent tears fell from the redhead's eyes as he remembered the funeral and all the support he had been given, and though he knew his mentor was in a better place, he couldn't help but miss the cheapskate. Alex quietly closed the book, allowing them to both lay there without a sound.

"...I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't. In all honesty, though, I wish you'd gotten to meet him. You might have tried to arrest him and he would have tried to kill you, but you would have certainly admired each other."

"I don't have good experiences with Russians." Doyle gave him a curious look.

"How'd you know he was Russian?"

"Leonidas is a Greek name used sometimes in Russian and Ukrainian culture and I spotted some traditional Russian things in the funeral picture, like  _Matryoshka_  dolls and a ballerina music box."

"Good eye. He wasn't much of a sentimental guy, though, and I just found those things while looking for stuff to showcase in the funeral. They were locked in a safe and he had given me the combination in his will, as well as what was inside." Doyle nodded at the bedside table, "I keep them locked in the bottom drawer, though every once-in-a-while I take out a nesting doll to look at and reminisce. One of them is engraved, actually, but seeing as it's in Russian and I don't know much, I can't read it right."

"How do you know Russian?"

"Did a stint in all three Baltic states at one point and learned a little of it, as well as Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian. I also learned a lot more Romanian besides that one song after spending a year in Moldova." Doyle began counting the languages he knew on his fingers, "Of course I know Italian, Spanish, German, and French fluently, and I also learned some of the Norse languages, like Finnish, Swedish, Danish, Norse, and a little Icelandic. I also know a little Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, Dutch, and Brazilian." he grinned, "Oh, the look on Van Rook's face when I insulted him in Romanian that one time was priceless!"

"I get it, I get it." Alex smiled, "You've learned a lot since I last saw you. As it is, I know a lot of Russian. Mind if I take a look at it?"

"Not at all." The spy leaned up so Doyle could reach over and unlock the drawer. The blond saw the music box and doll that had been in the photo, where Doyle grabbed the doll before closing the drawer. On the painted wooden doll was a man in a white space suit.  _Matryoshka_  dolls were known to have themes sometimes, so Alex guessed this set had an astronaut theme. Doyle turned the doll upside down and kept it closed, allowing the Brit to see the Russian writing at the bottom. The carved letters were small, having to fit in the message on one doll, so Alex took the lower end from Doyle to could have a closer examination.

"' _To my brother Leo. Stay safe. -Yasha_ '" the blond translated, "Van Rook had a sibling?"

"Yeah." Doyle nodded as he put the doll back after getting the bottom from Alex, "He didn't mention him often, but Van Rook had an older brother named Yasha. I never met him, though, so I can't really tell you anything except Yasha liked astronauts and helicopters. In fact, this set used to be owned by Yasha before he gave it to Van Rook around 19 years ago. At least, that's what the guy told me."

"Yasha Van Rook..." The 19 years had to be a coincidence, Alex was sure, and he had never heard the name before now. Yet, as he had learned, there were no such things as coincidences, "Did Van Rook ever mention what his brother did these days?"

"No, but I think he never talked about Yasha because Yasha was dead." This caught Alex's attention.

"How do you know?"

"I went looking, but I never found any mention of a Yasha Van Rook, so I think he had to cover his brother for some reason or he made his brother up. In my opinion, seeing as he was a mercenary, I think Yasha was hurt or worse by an enemy of Van Rook's, so the guy went ahead and hid everything about his brother so nothing like that would happen again or so that someone looking for Yasha's death records wouldn't find them."

"I suppose." Alex mused, "But even if I had met Van Rook, things wouldn't have ended well. Any time I've been with a Russian in the past, things don't end well for either side. Have I told you about Yassen?"

"A little. Not only was he an assassin that killed your uncle, but he was also a friend of your father's, right?"

"Right, but he got killed when he defended me. The other Russians I've encountered didn't defend me, but they still died. A lot of people die around me, but for some reason I tend to have the worst luck when I'm around Russians."

"Well, you wouldn't have to deal with them if you just stayed home and didn't go on missions." Alex snorted.

"I doubt that. Wherever I go, if there's a Russian, trouble's bound to follow."

"If you believe that." Doyle took out the picture from the album that Alex had given him and handed it back, "Anyway, here's Jack's picture back."

"Thanks." Alex looked at the picture with longing for a few seconds before putting it back in his wallet (which was a bit difficult, seeing as he wasn't trying to move his bad wrist), "So, what all did Van Rook teach you?"

"Only how to be a mercenary and how to ride a jetpack." Alex raised an eyebrow.

"A jetpack." he deadpanned. Doyle nodded, a serious look on his face.

"Yeah. You saw me flying last night and I even brought you back here using it."

"I thought it was the pterodactyl."

"Technically Zon's a pterosaur, but I was the one who brought you back. Once you're better, I can teach you how to fly one."

"Uh huh." Alex still sounded skeptical, though his face was blank. Doyle didn't blame the blond, he had felt the same way the first time Van Rook had told him about jetpacks. Suddenly an alarm rang throughout the house.

"Looks like I've gotta go." Doyle stood quickly and rubbed Alex's hair, "Stay safe!"

"Will do!" Alex shouted to the redhead as he left, making his voice heard over the siren. And yet, once again he was alone. He wasn't completely defenseless, but with his injuries, he now felt uneasy. It wouldn't be the first time someone had decoyed his protectors away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Russian Roulette, the 10th AR book, tells you exactly who Yasha is if you don't know.
> 
> 2\. Alex and Russians don't mix. Yassen Grogorovich, Alexei Sarov, and Nikolei Drevin were all Russian enemies of Alex and have all died because of him, though inadvertently.
> 
> 3\. 1,000 euros isn't exactly small change, though, but I put the 'small' part in there to help it stand out a little. 1,000 Euros = a little over 1,200 US dollars (at the moment).
> 
> 4\. Matryoshka dolls are also known as Russian nesting dolls and a part of Russian culture. I even got one for Christmas and it's really cute!
> 
> 5\. I did some research on concussions to make sure I got the symptoms right, so I hope I did. Correct me if I'm wrong, please.


	8. Scorpia's Return Pt. 1

Alex had been laying on his bed for an hour as he waited for the Saturdays to return when he heard it. He held his breath as he heard a creak in the wood floor outside the door. Of course it could have been random, but you didn't stay alive as a spy if you thought creaks in the hall were random. Immediately, Alex got up without a sound (ignoring the pain that shot through his body) and went to the closet, where he hid up on the top shelf and closed the closet door. As he waited for the intruder to come in, he looked for a way out. He smiled when he found a vent in the back with a note stuck to it, which read: " _If you ever need to get out. P.S., vents can get you outside the wall if you know how. Map on back for that._ " The blond turned the paper over to see the map just as the door was slowly opened.

"They said you were a sneaky man." spoke the woman that came inside. She had long black hair that flowed out from behind her mask, which was only a color variant of the one Doyle had in the closet, conveniently on the same shelf Alex was hiding. The woman had a blue body suit, a jetpack, grenades on her belt, and some sort of blaster on her wrist. She also had a distinct British accent, stronger than Alex's own. Not sure how dangerous she was, the blond decided to hightail out of there before his luck kicked in. As he opened the oiled vent (it had to be, since it didn't make a sound), Alex watched the woman walk around the room.

"If you will please come out, then we won't have any trouble." she spoke, "I'm here to kidnap you, but I also want to speak about how you know Doyle." Venom entered her voice on the last part of the sentence and Alex knew she might have been Abbey. Who else would have sounded like that when they were talking about Doyle and someone he had loved before them? Alex had heard that tone of voice many times before and knew it never ended well for him, so he quickly got into the vent and shut the cover before leaving.

"You won't get far." he heard her voice echo, "I  _will_  find you before the Saturdays and Doyle get back."

"Then you should start looking!" Alex couldn't help but quip. It was a bad habit, but one that sometimes saved his life. Being in the vents, the words echoed around the house, but they still gave him away. It was now a game of mercenary cat vs injured mouse, and the mouse was going to put up a big fight if it was the last thing he did.

* * *

Doyle wished he didn't have to come, but seeing as the new cryptid alert was about the Rockies, his jetpack skills were going to be invaluable. Yet he was worried about leaving Alex alone. The blond was anything but defenseless, but he couldn't help it.

"I'm sure he's fine." Doc gave him a wink and a pat on the shoulder. He could guess what Doyle was thinking about.

"He's got a lot of enemies."

"I made sure the security system was up before we left."

"Alex's luck will make it backfire."

"His luck?" Doc raised an eyebrow.

"I know you don't like mystical stuff, but Alex's luck is very unpredictable. The only thing about it that's steady is that it keeps him alive. It also tends to attract his enemies and gives him more injuries than should be humanly possible. It fluctuates between that and warding off everything harmful, though the warding rarely happens." Doyle sighed, "It would be just his luck for the security system to fail and an enemy come for him while he's injured."

"I doubt it." Doc said, "I built the security system, there's no way it could fail."

* * *

Alex was running through the garden, not only trying to get away from Abbey but also the plants. He stumbled when his shoe got stuck in goo, but pulled his foot free and continued running with only a single shoe, feeling deja vu that reminded him of the junkyard. He also ducked as a spray of needles flew over his head.

 _Note to self: Never come back in here, not even if the others say it's safe._  Alex thought as he continued running, dodging a plant that literally tried to bite his head off.

"Get back here!" Abbey growled, using her jetpack to fly over the plants. She had her wrist blaster aimed at the blond before one of the purple plants shot at her. She dodged, but her jetpack wasn't so lucky, so she was forced to land. As she did, Alex sneaked into another vent. Ducking as the plants shot at her again, she decided to follow Alex instead of cutting him off, like last time.

"You won't get away, I promise you that!"

* * *

After they had landed, the Saturdays split up to cover more ground. While Doyle went with his parents, Zak went with his cryptid brothers in different directions. They were investigating a town that had appearances of the cryptid, but so for they didn't have any luck. That is, until they came across someone they didn't think they'd ever see again.

It happened while Zak, Fisk, and Komodo were walking down the street. Suddenly Zak was taken by the arm and pulled into a sidestreet as thin as an alley, where the three were ready to defend themselves until they saw who it was.

"Francis?!"

"Quiet!" the boy hissed before looking nervously behind himself, "Look, I've found something out that I think you should know and I don't have much time before 'Father' finds me." Out of his jacket he took a piece of paper. On it were several lines of numbers and letters.

"What's this?" Zak took the paper, feeling he could trust the young clone.

"Hacking codes." Francis said, "They can only get you into MI6. My people know Alex is with you, so it won't be long until others find out where he is. Trust me when I say that Alex isn't all who he appears to be."

"He's a spy, of course he isn't!"

"That's not what I mean. There's still a lot about him you don't know, and some of those secrets are dangerous." Francis looked away, "You may be the only person I've considered a friend, Zak, and I don't want to lose that."

"T-thanks, Francis." Zak wasn't sure what else to say, since he had genuinely believed that the other boy didn't like him.

"You're welcome, Zak. If you ever need anything, just call me." Francis gave a small nod before leaving. Zak blinked, then checked his phone. In the contacts was a new number, labeled 'Francis.'

"How am I not surprised." Zak smiled and put the phone away, "Looks like we've got our own mission to do, guys." Fisk asked if it was a good idea while Komodo hissed his agreement, "I'm sure we can trust Francis on this one. Now c'mon, we have to get back to the ship before Mom, Dad, and Doyle do!"

* * *

Alex winced as he felt his wounds reopen, but it couldn't be helped. He was now under the water with an air tank, watching Abbey at the pool's edge. The blaster nor the grenades seemed to work underwater, yet she wasn't coming after him anyway. Perhaps she was looking for a way to get him out of the water? Well, she didn't need to if the red color floating away from his body was anything to go by. If he didn't get out soon and get patched, he was going to bleed to death. Quickly coming up with a plan, he went to the surface and to the opposite side of where Abbey was.

"Not so fast." he could hear her arm her blaster being armed. Alex continued to get out of the water, tossing the air tank aside. He wouldn't need it now, "That was a careless move."

"Was it really?" Alex put on his most charming smile. This seemed to catch Abbey off guard, seeing as her blaster arm slightly lowered. The blond walked over to her, keeping his hands in sight so as not to alarm her.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she made her arm straight again.

"I wanted to take a look at a beautiful lady."

"B-but you're gay!"

"So was Doyle. You're so pretty you can make gay men turn straight!" Alex was in front of her now, still smiling, "Can I take off your mask to see your pretty face?"

"S-sure." Abbey seemed to be more flustered at the attention he was giving her, so she complied easily. She certainly did have a nice face underneath the mask, her pale green eyes standing out next to her light skin, as well as her slight blush. Alex put a hand on her hip as he leaned closer, causing her to blush more.

"You're cheating on Doyle, you know." she tried to keep her voice steady. She blinked as Alex's kind smile suddenly turned vicious.

"And you should never let your guard down." Alex backed away quickly, twirling a grenade ring on his finger. Abbey paled and looked down at her belt. It was hard to tell which one Alex had pulled.

"Perhaps if I wasn't gay and you weren't a mercenary, we could have had something!" he shouted as he began running towards the Medical Bay. His looks and charm had certainly gotten him 'interested' looks before, so he had used it to his advantage a few times. Tricking Abbey was no different, though he found it strange how she had let her guard down so easily. He winced as he heard the boom of the grenade after closing the doors, cringing as more of them fired off. They were all flash-bang grenades, so they wouldn't hurt her, but he still felt sorry for doing that to her.

Once he was sure all of them had gone off, he went back into the pool room. He found her on the floor, moaning as she held her ears and her eyes tightly closed. Taking her by the arm, he helped her to her feet. She slapped his hand away once she was on her feet, glaring at where she thought he was.

" _You_..." she snarled, tears in her eyes. Not making a sound, Alex grabbed her arm gently yet firmly and brought her with him into the Medical Bay. Hopefully he didn't make her deaf and blind permanently, since that wasn't his intention. To assure her he meant no harm, he closed her mask for her. In response she punched him in the gut as hard as she could. She also happened to hit him on his right side, which hurt even worse and caused him to cough. His eyes widened as he saw that he had coughed up blood, knowing that things had gotten worse. In fact, he was now noticing that he had gotten a bit lightheaded, probably from blood loss, and went over to the computer of the Medical Bay. He had just managed to send a distress signal before he passed out.

* * *

When Doc's and Drew's phones began to beep, Doyle knew something was wrong. When he saw that there was an alert coming from back at the house, his worry turned to dread.

"Alex!" he was the first to run back to the ship, his sister and brother-in-law behind him. Zak, Komodo, and Fisk were luckily already on the ship and somehow he and Komodo got it running and ready to fly by the time the adults arrived. The two were definitely smart cryptids, Doyle had to admit that, but his mind was completely focused on getting home and checking on Alex. What had happened? Was Alex hurt even worse?

"Let me guess, Alex came back a few days ago and you didn't tell us because he got badly hurt or something?" Drew mused as she and Doc took their places from Fisk and Komodo.

"Spot on." Doyle nodded, "I hope he's okay..."

"If he taught you how to be cool, then I'm sure he's fine!" Zak assured him.

"He's got a lot of enemies." Doyle rubbed his face in anxiety, "He's also badly injured and lost a bit of blood. If he loses much more he'll need a transfusion and if he reopens his wounds, that's just what's going to happen!" The redhead slammed his hand onto one of the rails, bending it so much it nearly broke in half.

"Easy!" Doc growled, "If you keep up hitting or holding things while you're mad, I'm going to have to replace everything in the house!"

"Here, let's just access the security footage." Drew typed at some keys and a large screen popped up. It began playing footage from the moment they left the house, but things didn't change until around an hour in Suddenly, they could see Alex clumsily running from Abbey through the house, through the garden and the hangar to the pool. The audio was also on, where they caught Alex's trick to Abbey, though until he had revealed it, Doyle and the rest of the Saturdays honestly thought he had was cheating on the redhead. They winced as the grenades went off, muting the loud sounds, and watched as Alex helped Abbey, where things took a turn for the worse when Alex coughed up blood and passed out after sending the message.

"Can't you make this thing go any faster?!" Doyle was angry, both at himself for leaving Alex and at Abbey from trying to kidnap him.

"This is as fast as it can go, Doyle!" Drew said, "We're doing our best!"

"Alex could be dying for all we know!" Doyle snapped. If he had more hair, he would be pulling it out right now. A mixture of fear and separation anxiety had overtaken him, making him so scared and angry that the cryptids kept a good distance away.

"Wait, fast forward a bit." Zak said, "There might be more to the video." Drew nodded and did so. The video began running again and just a few minutes afterword, the security system had been broken, as well as the front wall. A black van, as well as many men, came charging in. They broke down the front door, quickly made their way to the Medical Bay (so quickly it was as if they knew the place like the back of their hands), and took Alex and Abbey. She was helped out the door by one while the rest handcuffed Alex and dragged his body with them, as if they didn't consider him human enough to be carried. A slight trail of blood from Alex's wounds was created as well, following the group to the van. As Alex was tossed in, Abbey climbed in after him and the other men followed. One happened to look up, and though he was wearing a mask, he smiled to the camera and held up a badge with the symbol of a silver scorpion on it. He then brought out his gun and shot at the camera, causing it to go black.

"...No." The rail under Doyle's hands screamed as he twisted and bent it in every possible way, "He's gone. I left him alone and now he's GONE!" The portion of the rail Doyle had been messing with was ripped up and thrown at the doors to the rest of the ship. He was breathing heavily, clenching and unclenching his fists, then left. But as soon as the doors were closed, the rest of the family could hear him howl with sadness.

"...Wow." Zak finally spoke, "He must really love Alex."

"We need to find out who those people are and where they've gone." Doc said, "But there's no way to track them unless they stole something with a tracker in it, since the cameras only see so far."

"Let's check Zon's nest." Drew said, "She might have followed them." The cameras were changed to show Zon's nest at the time of Alex getting kidnapped. She woke up from the noise (her wings had been washed by Doyle the night before so as to not worry anyone) and upon seeing what was going on, grabbed one of Zak's shoes before taking off to follow the van.

"Wait, there are trackers in my  _shoes_?" Zak looked down at the pair he was wearing.

"...Would you believe us if we said we don't trust you to stay home?" Doc said. Zak gave him a glare.

"Boys, calm down." Drew intervened, "At least we know Zon is keeping an eye on them. Now we just need to find out who they are."

"I think this can help." Zak took out the paper, "Francis gave this to me. He said people knew where Alex was and that his secrets were dangerous." He gave the paper to his father, who glanced over it.

"These are codes. What are they for?"

"MI6, he said. We can use them to hack into MI6's files to find this group, since I get the feeling they're more dangerous than we think."

"Good idea." Drew praised, "I'll open the tracking program to locate Zon. Hmm?" she glanced at another screen, "The tracking program is open elsewhere. You don't think-?" Komodo and Fisk looked into the rest of the ship before giving worried nods.

"Looks like Alex isn't the only one we're going after." Doc sighed.

* * *

Doyle looked down at the mini-tracker in his hand as he flew. He  _had_  to get Alex back, he couldn't lose him again. And though it was probably safer in numbers, his emotions were ruling his mind. He may not have wanted to be in a relationship with Alex again, but he still cared for the blond. Besides, Alex had always been there for him, so now it was time to switch things around. He owed Alex for leaving him alone, after all.

Why had he ever thought to leave the blond alone? He could have just stayed home and no one would have minded, yet he still went without much of a thought to Alex until they were in the air. How could he have been so careless? He had just gotten back the one he loved, then lost him again. That caused him to pause.

"...How good of a person am I if I can't even keep him safe when he needs me?" Doyle looked at the tracker in his hand, then shook his head, "I can be pathetic later, I need to find him first." Yet, even as he flew towards where the tracker was, his heart was heavy with sadness & anger at himself.


	9. Scorpia's Return Pt. 2

"Hey, Jurassic."

"Rawk!" Zon said quietly, not trying to attract attention. Doyle had spotted her quickly and had landed on a branch beside her. One of Zak's shoes was hanging from a branch point, but Doyle wasn't going to ask. A small distance from them was an abandoned bunker, the kind from WWII, but it certainly wasn't abandoned right now. In fact, there were guards stationed in front of its entrance, as well as a black van.

"See another way in?" The pterosaur shook her head, "Then I guess it's time to call in a favor." Zon watched as Doyle took out his phone and opened the back, where the batteries were. Instead of seeing them right away, a folded piece of paper covered them. The redhead took out the paper, closed the compartment, and unfolded said paper. Inside were numbers and beside them names, but only single words, like 'Ben' or 'Wolf.'

"Let's hope this works." Doyle muttered as he chose a number and typed it in. It rung twice before it was answered.

"Who is this?" asked a gruff voice on the other side.

"I'm Doyle, a friend to Alex."

" _The_  Doyle?" the gruffness was gone, replaced by stiff, slightly angered amusement, "The one that left Alex?" Doyle winced.

"It was a misunderstanding. Anyway, you're Ben, right?"

"That I am. Alex said you would call if there was an emergency, but that was years ago. How'd you get this number?"

"I kept the list he gave me, just in case."

"I REALLY need to change my phone..." Ben mused to himself.

"Anyway, I need help." Doyle continued, "Alex is in danger."

"What kind of danger?" Ben's voice now had a serious tone to it.

"I don't know, but the group that grabbed him has the symbol of a silver scorpion."

"...Sh*t." he cursed, "How long ago was he captured?"

"At least half-an-hour. He was also badly injured before that."

"Okay, I've got an idea, but you'll need to get inside to where he is. He taught you how to sneak around, right?"

"Yeah, a bit."

"Good. I'm going to pull up an extraction team, but someone needs to be inside to keep an eye on Alex and make sure he doesn't get killed until they get there." Doyle grit his teeth. Alex could get killed by these guys, he knew, but Ben saying it out loud forced him to think about how much danger he was in.

"How long until then?"

"Don't know. Could take up to an hour from where you are and we don't have that kind of time."

"Do you know-"

"I know  _exactly_  where you are, Doyle. Now, get to work." The connection was cut, leaving the man to stare at his phone.

"Alright..." he sighed, tucking his phone away, then turned to Zon, "Stay and tell the family when they get here. Thanks for the help, but I've got to do this on my own." She watched as he took off his jetpack and climbed the tree, worry filling her as she wondered if things would go according to plan. She wasn't dumb, she was just like her cryptid brothers, but she knew if she tried to help, she would make things worse. She only hoped neither Doyle nor Alex would die.

* * *

"Gah..." Abbey moaned, massaging her ears and eyes. Slowly, both senses were coming back, though she wished they weren't. She would get reprimanded for this failure, she was certain.

She had been hired to grab Alex, and though they had cautioned her on his tricks, seeing he was injured had made her think it would be easy. She had let her guard down and he had taken advantage of it. She had to admit, though, that Doyle had good taste. Up close, despite the injuries and bandages, Alex had looked wonderful. She had seriously thought he was going to kiss her, until he pulled the veil over her head by arming one of her grenades. He would have been a man after her own heart if it wasn't for the fact that her heart was ruled by her greed. But Abbey also wanted to take her vengeance out on him for taking Doyle away from her. She knew Alex had done this because her employers told her.

They knew practically everything about Alex and were willing to pay any price to get the blond into their clutches. They also hated him. A  _lot_. They hated him so much that when she was given a tour of the facilities shortly before going after Alex, Abbey saw them using his picture for shooting practice with machine guns. There were also dartboards with his face in the recreation room. And his face was on punching bags, as well as other dummies. They hated him  _that_ much. It was like Alex was their mortal enemy, as strange as it sounded.

Blinking her eyes, Abbey found she could see a little more than before and her ears weren't ringing like crazy. Sitting in one of the chairs in the recreation room after being taken there, she wondered what was going to happen to her. Suddenly a man walked in and, with his mask off, Abbey saw his face and remembered that he was the head of the group. He sat in a chair beside her.

"Ms. Grey, your payment has been transferred to your account electronically." he said, "And if you would like to play with Alex a little, that would be fine with us." His voice was a bit muffled, but Abbey understand what he was saying.

"Why? Why did you still pay me, even though I didn't do the job?"

"We paid you half your fee because you still brought Alex to us, in a way. To us, that's all that matters. And if you won't take the offer, then you may leave." Abbey's eyes narrowed.

"No, I'll take that offer." she stood, "I want to make him pay for being the object of Doyle's affection for so long." The other man nodded and stood as well.

"Then follow me." He led her through the hallways of the building, deeper and deeper into it. Originally, the building had been an abandoned WWII bunker, but had been heavily modified when the group that had hired her moved in. They went down several levels until they came across a row of shiny new cells. The man gestured to one, where Abbey looked in. Chained to the wall was the blond that had given her so much trouble, where it seemed he was starting to wake up.

"Make sure not to kill him." the man told her, "The rest of us want our fair share of revenge." Off to the side were torture tools, where Abbey grabbed a whip.

"Don't worry, I won't." She went into the cell after it was unlocked, giving a dark smile to the blond below her and closing her mask.

* * *

Alex hated feeling weak, especially now. He could feel the heavy chains on his wrists and his head was light, yet heavy at the same time. He could barely lift it, yet it felt as light as air. He hated how the blood loss made him feel, but at least he wasn't dead yet.

Struggling to look up, he saw the blue boots of a certain woman come into the room and two clicks, one from the door and another just above him, probably from Abbey's mask closing or opening. That meant he hadn't blinded her or made her deaf, at least. She knelt down to his level and he saw a whip in her hands, making his stomach churn. He had been whipped before, but it was never a pleasant experience, especially if the whip had a metal or stone tip. Stone tips were even worse, as they had a chance of infecting him, if the tip wasn't already poisoned. He had faced a poisoned whip once. It hadn't been pretty, as Alex had to stay in a hospital for nearly a month.

"Hello, Alex." Abbey purred, "You were quite troublesome man to catch, you know."

"What do you want?" Alex croaked, just talking was tiring to him.

"I want revenge. I love Doyle, I gave him affection after you left. You don't deserve his forgiveness." Alex smiled.

"Neither do you." His head snapped to the side after she slapped him. Pain in his injuries reignited as she had slapped the right side of his face, the damaged side.

"At least I didn't  _abandon_  him."

"Are you delusional? Of course you did." She slapped him again on the other side.

"You have no idea how much I care for him!"

"You left him for money. I left him for his safety. Besides," Alex gave her a hard look, "I gave him something you've never given him, will  _never_  be able to give him. He may have had affection for you, but part of it was because he wanted to start over. And because you abandoned him, he may never find someone to love again."

"Yet he still loves you."

"You would still love your ex too."

"I've had a lot of ex-boyfriends and I've never loved them like I've loved Doyle."

"Then that might mean you're obsessed. I wouldn't want to get on your bad side if you are." Abbey huffed and stood, stretching out the whip.

"You already are."  _CRACK!_ Alex winced as the whip struck his chest and cut through his clothes like paper, aggravating his ribs as well. It was going to be a  _long_  day.

* * *

Despite Ben's instructions, Doyle wasn't sure how he was supposed to get in. If he made a sound or movement, the men would most likely shoot. And if he got hurt or died, it wouldn't be good for Alex. So how was he supposed to get rid of them? He couldn't just go up to them, they would still shoot him, and he doubted he would be able to take them out in hand-to-hand combat. Suddenly, he had an idea. Aiming his blaster, he took down a tree branch, causing commotion. As it was a distance away from the bunker, he hoped the guards would take the bait. They did and, with a smile, Doyle ran inside.

He quickly had to duck into a closet when guards walked down the hall, though. They weren't taking any chances, were they? And that reminded him, just who  _were_  these people? What did they want with Alex? Had they sent Abbey to capture him and when the distress signal went off, they came to get rid of them both? Shaking his head, Doyle noted to think about it later. Now, to figure out where they were keeping Alex...

* * *

Alex grimaced as he held his bleeding chest. He had to dislocate his wrist (his sprained one no less) and then relocate it so he could stop the blood flow. If he lost much more blood, he was sure that even his luck wouldn't be able to save him. Talk about being a 'black cloud.' When the door opened, however, he found himself looking into an unknown face but one that seemed eerily familiar.

"Long time no see, eh?" Alex studied the man's tanned face, but nothing came to mind.

"Do I know you?" The man smiled, his dark eyes twinkling.

"Yes, but I suppose it's been a long time. I was one of the trainees at Malagosto when you were there." The blond's eyes flashed in recognition and some fear. Malagosto could only mean one thing, and Alex didn't like it. He didn't visibly show his fear, though, he wasn't going to give the man any satisfaction.

"The scientist, right? You were good at chemicals and machines, especially poisons." The man nodded.

"That's right. And now that Abbey is done with you, my friends and I wish to get our revenge." He opened the other chain holding Alex and quickly grabbed the able wrist, preventing Alex from fighting back too much. He dragging the spy with him, out of the cell and up a floor until they reached an experimentation room.

That's the only word Alex could think of for the room, as there was some sort of tube-like chamber in the middle of the room with a few control panels around it. Thick wires like vines were connected to it from the sides and spread out around the room. Also in the room, besides Alex and the man, were two other people trying to keep a cage closed. Inside the cage was a pink cat as big as a puma with six legs that looked pretty mad. It was hissing and trying to scratch the eyes out of the people around it.

"That's a Wampus Cat." the man with Alex smirked, "A cryptid, something that has no scientific evidence to exist. And the chamber over there is able to create cryptids."

"Then what do I have to do with it?"

"An experiment." Before Alex could fight back, he was shoved into the open door of the chamber. And with a yowl, so was the Wampus Cat. The door was closed on them and Alex could hear the chamber humming. For once in his life, he hoped the experiment finished soon, before he got clawed to death by the angry pink cat. But as the chamber lit up, began to spin, and pain filled his body, he wondered if he really wanted this to happen. He screamed as the pain increased, his scream being joined by the Wampus Cat's, until he blacked out.

* * *

Doyle's heart almost stopped when he heard the scream,  _Alex's_  scream, and it completely terrified him. The guards (who were once again doing their rounds) chuckled.

"I wonder if that's the experiment Keith was telling us about." one said.

"If it works, we can torture the spy until he breaks. It could also earn us a lot of money and get Scorpia back on the top of the terrorist list." said the other, "But is it a good idea to combine the greatest spy in the world with an giant angry 6-legged pink cat?" The first one shrugged.

"Only one way to find out." As the two went on their way, Doyle remembered something Zak had told him. During the time the redhead was away, the family had gone down to Louisiana because of a message from Doc's deceased mentor, Dr. Lancaster. All in all, things hadn't gone well, where Zak had been combined with Fisk and Komodo into a 'Zakermodo,' but thankfully the three had been separated and the machine, as well as all the data on it, had been destroyed. So, if the guards were right, the machine had somehow been recreated and Alex was getting  _very_  close to a Wampus Cat. But Doyle had thought the 'Zakermodo' incident was just a story, so was it really possible for two beings to be combined?

Looking up, the ex-mercenary spotted a vent. Deciding that it would help him find Alex faster, he opened it and climbed in. His stomach churned when he heard Alex's scream again and his growled lowly to himself. Alex was hurting, hurting worse than any time Doyle had seen before, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

* * *

Waking up, Alex felt confused and hurting, but not as much as he had before, surprisingly. He also had more energy, allowing him to lift his head and look around. The man was there, as well as the two who had guarded the Wampus Cat. The cat was beside him and on the ground as well, groaning and holding its head. Pushing himself up, Alex found that his wrist didn't hurt anymore, as well as his head and leg. His chest still hurt, but looking down, there weren't any injuries.

"Like what you see?" sneered the man.

"What happened?" Alex slowly moved one of his hands to a pocket before remembering he had left his jacket at the Saturday house, forgetting to put it on when Abbey had come after him.

"We combined you with the Wampus Cat, then reversed the process. As I had guessed, your injuries have mostly healed." he rubbed his hands together, "This will let us torture you as much as we want!"

"What did I ever do to you?"

"You destroyed our livelihood. You brought Scorpia to the bottom and made us laughingstocks. Now we are going to get our revenge, not just on you but also on the rest of the world.  _Scorpia never forgets, Scorpia never forgives_." Alex decided to make his move and got to his feet, running for the exit. However, there were two guard, who caught him. Feeling the strong grip they had on him, he didn't fight, knowing he had to save his strength for what they had in mind. They took him back down to the previous level with the first man following behind, bringing him back to the cell and chaining his hands again. The first man then came in with a bucket of cold water and a malicious smile.

"You may call me Keith." he said, "And you will wish you were dead once I'm done with you."

"A lot have people have said that to me. Who thinks you'll be the first?"

"I don't think, I  _know_." Keith took a wet cloth out of the bucket and put it over Alex's face. The blond frowned and tried to control his breathing. He understood what Keith was trying to do, but he wasn't going to let the terrorist get what he wanted. Waterboarding wasn't going to affect him, not after he had to go through it a lot. Waterboarding, which is what Keith was doing to Alex, caused the recipient to feel like they couldn't breathe and panic, where they would then reveal something or give in. But Alex was used to getting waterboarded, so he knew how to beat this.

He had to resist the urge to scream and gulp in air, though, when a knife was shoved into his chest, near his heart and almost on top of his bullet scar. Tears leaked out of his eyes at the pain and he hoped that someone was coming to save him, because he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to get out on his own this time.

* * *

"Okay, the tracker isn't far, so now we have to land." Drew said.

"Why here? Can't we get closer?" Zak asked.

"Not unless we want to be noticed." Doc answered, "Now let's get going. We've got a lot walk ahead of us." Zak and his brothers groaned, but followed the older Saturdays out of the ship. Not long after they were met with resistance. Out of nowhere a group of around a dozen men appeared and had them cornered, blocking them off from the air ship. With guns pointed at them and only a fire sword, an energy glove, and a stick ("The Claw isn't a stick!"  **"Who's writing the story here?"** "Okay, okay...") to protect them, the Saturdays had no choice but to surrender, unless they wanted to get hurt. They lowered their weapons but kept them in hand when a man walked out of the group to meet them. He seemed to be in his 50s or so, with black hair that was slightly gray at the temples. He was dressed like the rest of the men around them and had a gun in his hands, but still gave them a smile.

"You're the Saturdays, right?" he asked.

"Yes, we are. Why?" Doc asked. The man waved his hand and the rest of the guns were lowered and put away.

"Sorry about the precaution, thought you might have been with the other group." he said, "I'm Ben, by the way. Ben Daniels. You can also call me Fox, but that's only if we're in an unsafe place."

"How do you know us?" Drew was suspicious, as usual.

"Alex. After his next-to-last mission, when he didn't come back to London, I put a tracker on his handgun shortly before he went on the next one. He went to someplace on the West Coast, near the Oregon-California border. Did some research and found that's where you live. So, why are you here?"

"To help Alex." Zak crossed his arms.

"Sorry, but you won't be able to." Before Zak could protest, Ben went on, "Scorpia isn't someone you want to get on the bad side of, like Alex is." The Saturdays masked the surprise they felt. They had used the code Francis had given them to access MI6, but the agency had such tight security that they hadn't been able to get far. The only organization they could find that was tied to Alex was something called 'Scorpia,' but they hadn't been able to learn much about it because of the barriers.

"Doc and I are semi-qualified to be in a military operation." Drew shot back.

"You are, but your sword and glove can't block bullets, now can they?" When the two adults didn't answer, Ben continued, "As it is, my team and I need to get to where they are and relieve Doyle from his duty." Ben rubbed his face, "As much as I hate to say this, I had no choice but to send him in when I learned who had captured Alex."

"So you sent  _him_  in, but you're not sending  _us_?!" Drew was incensed, both at the fact Ben wasn't letting her go after her brother and the fact that said brother was in immediate danger.

"I had no choice. Plus, he lived with Alex, so he knows how to survive pretty well. But there's always the chance that he could get caught, so I need to go get him.  _Stay_.  _Here_." Ben gave them all a glare before he and his retrieval team ran off. Fisk muttered something to Zak, where the boy translated.

"...We're going after them, aren't we?"

"And we're going to beat them there if we can. C'mon!" Grabbing Doc's wrist, she dragged him along behind her as the family began running to the location as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. 'Black clouds' and 'white clouds' are terms about probies (new firemen) that mean different things. 'Black clouds' seem to attract every fire while they're on duty while 'white clouds' keep fires at bay. I learned that from a documentary I watched once. In this case, Alex is applying the terms to his luck, which most of the time he tries not to acknowledge. It tends to make things worse if he does.
> 
> 2\. I imagine Ben to being around 20 to 15 years older than Alex. He was described in Snakehead as being 23 or 24 to Alex's 14, but I imagined him a bit older than that. I also think that, being one of Alex's only friends at MI6, Alex would have told him almost everything. Including how Doyle was the one to leave him, so it's understandable that Ben would be angry at Doyle.
> 
> 3\. Remember the numbers referenced in one of the memories, the numbers on the fridge? Yeah, Doyle kept those in case of emergency, though he didn't realize that he was very lucky to have been able to contact Ben. In fact, Ben should have gotten rid of his phone a long time ago in case enemies tried to trace it, but if he had, Alex would probably be in Scorpia's clutches longer.
> 
> 4\. During WWII, with Japan as our enemy, a lot of security was put on the West Coast of the US in case of attack. I don't think bunkers were actually a part of it, but as writers have artistic licenses, I added it in. Of course, Scorpia revamped it completely when they moved in.
> 
> 5\. I think that the Saturday house is along the West Coast somewhere, and I imagine it to be near the Oregon-California border, mostly on the Oregon side. Why, I have no idea.
> 
> 6\. I haven't seen the Ghost in the Machine episode in a while, so I had to look a bit of this up on the Secret Saturdays wiki to make sure I got it right.
> 
> 7\. Alex has been waterboarded before, back in Scorpia Rising. It's happened many times since then, so he's used to controlling his panic and breathing. He was also given a new shirt and pants to wear after Doyle bandaged him, in case I didn't mention that in an earlier chapter. Also, even though I have never had a broken, dislocated, or sprained limb in my life (lucky me), having to dislocate a sprained wrist seems like it would be infinitely painful.


	10. Scorpia's Return Pt. 3

Doyle had found the lab just in time to see them bring an unconscious Alex back in. More injuries had been made to the blond, mostly to his legs, and his shirt was stained red almost all over from a stab wound to the chest. Doyle grit his teeth to keep from saying anything, knowing it would give him away if he did. But it hurt, not being able to do anything to help the one you loved.

"Put him in." one man growled, "He needs to live if we're to keep torturing him." Hearing a whine, Doyle glanced to see a Wampus Cat in a cage brought over. The usually fierce cat was cowering, eyes wide and looking for a chance to escape. He watched helplessly as Alex was tossed into the chamber, as well as the Wampus Cat. Controls were typed onto a console and the chamber lit up from the inside, light shining through a window while it began to spin. As the cat began to scream in pain, Doyle was glad Alex was unconscious so he wouldn't have to feel it. Yet the combining didn't take long, the scream soon cutting out along with the light and spinning.

"Now reverse it." the first man commanded once again. Things were typed into the console, but it beeped in warning.

"The chamber needs to cool down, sir."

"Then lock the door. We don't need-" He was interrupted as something banged against the chamber's door, making a dent in it. A yowl came from inside the cylinder and a fur-covered pink hand appeared at the window. It sounded like Alex was pretty angry. The hand slammed against the window, creating cracks in the glass.

"Guards!" The chamber door was forced open quickly and a pink blur ran out before shots could be fired. The blur attacked the people in the room quickly, slashing at them and slamming them into walls. The only one to escape was the first man, who locked the door behind him. When there was no one left to attack (all were alive, but some looked quite dead), the blur slowed to a stop and was recognizable.

It was Alex, Doyle knew, but the blond usually didn't have four arms, a fuzzy tail, and pink fur. The half-Wampus Cat man glanced around wildly, his glowing yellow eyes wide, fangs bared, and cat ears pulled back. His claw-tipped hands twitched anxiously, as if awaiting a new attack while his clothes hung off his body in rags. Seeing that the spy obviously wasn't himself but no other choice or chance, Doyle removed the vent cover and jumped down. Alex immediately whipped around to face him and tensed. Blood covered his four hands from all the slashing and clawing he had done against his captors and Doyle knew that if Alex attacked, he would be dead, no questions asked. Wanting to show the spy that he was no threat, Doyle grudgingly took off his blaster and grenades and put them on the floor. Alex glanced between them and the redhead, a little confused. He didn't relax, either, so that hadn't worked.

"Alex, it's okay." Alex growled at the words, but Doyle pressed on, "I'm Doyle, remember? The guy you liked, you loved?" Out of the corner of his eye, he could see those still alive after Alex's attack crawling toward the door, obviously hoping to get out before Alex decided to hurt them again. Doyle knew he had to keep the half-Wampus Cat occupied, so he continued to talk.

"I would never hurt you. Not now, not ever. I may have said some bad things to make you think I hate you, but you saw through it all. You know when I'm lying, you know when I've got secrets, but you don't push unless you have to. That's what makes you so lovable." Slowly, Alex's arms were lowering, "I don't know if you'd hurt me, but if you did, you'd feel awful for it. I don't know everything about you, but I know your feelings. So please, let me help." Doyle took a step forward, slowly and hesitantly. Alex instantly became angry again and the ex-mercenary backed off. He certainly didn't expect the spy to charge and pin him to the wall behind him. The cryptid hybrid bared his teeth again and looked ready to tear his throat out.

"Alex, no!" the redhead tried to reason with the Brit as best he could, "Don't let the cryptid get the best of you! I know you're in there, please show me that!" In response, Alex pressed on his shoulders harder and it was so painful to Doyle that he thought they might break. Alex's claws slid out of his fingers and dug into Doyle's shoulders as the half-Wampus Cat man began to growl, eyes glowing a dangerous yellow as they narrowed.

"Alex,  _please_." the ex-mercenary begged, reaching out to hold the extra hands on Alex's body. He knew the Brit was in there somewhere, he just had to draw him out somehow. But he was also afraid of Alex, wondering what the Wampus Cat-side wanted to do to him. Being half-cryptid made the spy more unpredictable than usual, so the redhead didn't know what to expect. Suddenly a different look entered Alex's eyes and he eased up on the grip before leaning to where his mouth was near Doyle's ear. What was he doing? The redhead was answered as his eardrums were blasted with a yowl. Jerking away from the extremely loud sound (he was wondering if he was going to go deaf in that ear now), Doyle saw Alex laughing. It was a wickedly spiteful laugh, one that took pleasure in another's pain, and it made the redhead angry.

"You promised me something, you know." he growled, "You promised that you wouldn't do anything against me, like laughing at me or hurting me. You broke that long ago and you're still breaking it. But I gave you another chance, so I want you to fight that Wampus Cat right now and show me that you deserve my forgiveness!" Alex stared at him as if he was crazy, then closed his eyes. It looked like he was in pain and though Doyle knew he was getting to Alex, it hurt to see his ex-lover hurting.

"Fight the Wampus Cat, keep fighting it." Pushing Alex's hands off his shoulders, Doyle grabbed one and guided the half-cryptid to the chamber. Alex gave a whimper or two, which tore at Doyle, but the redhead stayed strong. Alex was fighting for him, so he had to get Alex back to normal.

"It's going to be okay." he whispered as he pushed Alex into the chamber, "I promise." Locking the door (it had an unbroken latch on the outside, which Doyle locked), he went over to the console to see if he could figure out how to reverse the process. He froze as he heard a small, yet sharp click behind him.

"Do as I say and I won't kill you." said a voice, the same as the man who had commanded everything Doyle had seen before. The redhead nodded and followed the man's instructions, wincing when he heard Alex scream in pain. The first man barked to someone in a language Doyle didn't understand as the chamber slowed then went back to English.

"Now, let out the spy and devil cat." Doyle walked over the undid the latch, stepping to the side as Alex and the Wampus Cat fell out, now separate. Alex groaned, holding his head as the Wampus Cat shot to its feet and ran, trying to escape. Even with its super speed, it didn't get far. It was shot and soon lying in a puddle of blood, making no sound. It had probably died instantly, wherever it was hit. Slowly, Doyle knelt next to Alex to check on him. He didn't dare make a sound in case they were shot as well.

"So you care for him?" Doyle turned to look at the man, the gun held steady in a tight grip and pointed at his face. A bit of defiance bubbled up in the ex-mercenary, something he learned from Alex that didn't always end well, and he spoke his mind.

"Why do this? Why do you hate him? Did he do something you just didn't like or do you want revenge?"

"What a sharp tongue you have, or maybe you just don't think before you speak. As for why we hate him, he destroyed us, just like how he destroyed you." Doyle went white.

"H-he didn't destroy me."

"Yes he did, he  _left_ you, so why don't you help us take revenge?"

"How do you even know what he did?"

"We know everything about him, including his relationship with you. You could make him pay for leaving you and we wouldn't kill you."

"No." Doyle didn't think about his answer, he knew he would never hurt Alex. He even said it aloud as he tried to calm the Brit a few minutes ago. The man sighed.

"Too bad." He gave a nod and suddenly Doyle was torn away from Alex. Briefly, he gave a panicked cry and fought back, nearly throwing the two men holding him, until something hard was pressed against his back. The cylinder shape gave him enough info and he stopped, keeping still in case they thought the slightest movement would be enough to shoot him. He watched as they put handcuffs on Alex and dragged the blond to his feet. Alex staggered slightly but was steady, his groggy mind probably kicking into overdrive to figure out what was going on. The Wampus Cat's body was dragged away as a new, bigger cage entered the room, holding a new cryptid: a white Amarok. It snarled and punched the cage bars, glaring at the humans around it.

"Let's see if you truly won't hurt Rider.  _Get in_." Jabbed in the back with the gun, Doyle had no choice but to comply.

 _Please, don't the last thing I remember be the last time I see Alex alive._ he thought as he was shoved into the chamber, as well as the Amarok. Doyle had to duck so his head wouldn't be bitten or punched off his shoulders.

* * *

Alex could hear clearly, but his mind was still trying to catch up. He knew someone had mentioned him, knelt beside him, before he was forced to his feet and his hands cuffed. He was quickly brought to attention as he heard someone scream, and much to his horror, it was a scream he  _knew_. He waited with bated breath as the screams stopped and the chamber slowed. Before it slowed completely, Alex was shoved forward, causing him to fall on unsteady knees.

"Until we meet again!" Keith called before Alex was left alone in the room. The blond had a sick feeling that they were leaving to kill him another day. Either that or let Doyle kill him if it was possible. Alex faintly remembered the redhead talking to him, saying something about hurt and forgiveness, and he doubted that Doyle would ever actively try to kill him. Though that was put under intense questioning with Doyle now being half-cryptid.

Suddenly the chamber door was slowly opened, the latch having not been put in place, and Alex kept his eyes on the ground. He didn't want to see what Doyle looked like, not if the ex-mercenary was going to kill him. Claws clacked against the tiles of the floor as Doyle stepped out of the chamber and Alex held his breath. They continued to click and clack, the sounds growing closed to him until the Brit could see the half-cryptid's feet. The shoes were gone, replaced by thick, yet soft white fur and black claws. Alex waited for Doyle to strike him down, to kill him, but the hybrid didn't. Instead, Doyle knelt and pushed his head against Alex's chest, growling softly.

From what he could see, Doyle was covered in white fur, which even took away his mohawk. He had big wolf ears with two holes in the left one, one of the holes filled with an earring, sharp fangs, and bright red eyes. His shirt was intact, as well as the upper part of his pants (there was along, fluffy tail that jutted from over the rim, so no holes to be embarrassed about later), but his gloves were completely gone. Large black claws were on his hands, but there was no fur on his wrists. The scars shone through like dull red highlights and gave the appearance of gloves to his furry hands.

"Do you...remember me?" Alex asked slowly. The growling went low, indicating a no, but Doyle must have remembered him somehow. He was crossed with a wolf, so unless the wolf was a weird vegetarian, Alex should have been eaten or dead. He was brought out of his thoughts as Doyle rubbed against him again, acting more like a cat than a wolf, before the half-cryptid's ears perked. Doyle glanced around, ears twitching, then suddenly pulled Alex to his feet. There was worry in his red eyes, worry for Alex as he dragged the blond over to the still-open vent. Alex turned his head, trying to figure out what sound had put Doyle on edge, but he couldn't hear anything. He hoped his hearing wasn't slipping, because that would very much be the death of him if it was.

Hearing a snap, he turned to see that Doyle had broken the chain between the handcuffs and was now urging Alex to get into the vent. Feeling bad with what he was about to do, the spy shook his head.

"I can't." he spoke, "I need to get you back to normal."

"Rrr..." Though the worry was still there, Doyle narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth. Alex knew Doyle wanted to keep him safe by any means necessary, but he didn't want Doyle to hurt anyone if they were who Alex thought they were.

"Look, everything's going to be okay. And if you want to make me happy," Alex grimaced, "if you want that, go wait outside." The half-cryptid gave him an angry look, but did as he was told and climbed into the vent. The single door to the room suddenly opened with a bang and in came what Alex could see as an American extraction team. He tensed instinctively, ready for a fight, until his name was called.

"Alex!" Ben was there, bounding over to him, "Are you okay?"

"Just peachy. What are you doing here?"

"Doyle." he smiled, taking a pen out of his pocket, "I'm just glad you're not hurt. I was certain we would have had to send you to a hospital once we found you." Twisting the top off, there was the head of a skeleton key, which Ben used to free Alex. The cuffs dropped to the ground with two separate clangs and Alex rubbed his wrists.

"What about Scorpia? Did you catch anyone?" Ben shook his head.

"No one was around and there were no cars out front. If they left, they're long gone by now." Alex frowned.

"In your report, please make sure not to mention Doyle or the Saturdays. It's bad enough Scorpia knows about Doyle, they don't need to know about the Saturdays too."

"They know about him?" Ben's eyebrows shot up.

"They know everything about what happened between us."

"D*mn..." Ben breathed, "How could they know?"

"I don't know, but it looks like I've got a leak in my friends. Either that or MI6 somehow found out." Alex was mad, his voice showed, but his face was blank. If it wasn't for the fact that they were manipulative b*st*rds, Ben would have felt sorry for MI6.

"And have you seen Doyle? He was supposed to come in here and make sure you didn't get killed."

"That was what I was just about to ask." Alex and Ben turned to see the Saturdays at the door, Drew having been the one to speak.

"I  _told_  you-"

"Leave it be, Ben. They're all stubborn." Alex gave the family a small smile, "Looking for Doyle?"

"We were looking for you too." Zak said, "Are you-" He went quiet when he saw the puddle of blood on the floor.

"Wampus Cat." Alex said, "It's nothing to worry about."

"Wait a second." Doc was looking at the chamber and console closely, "This looks very similar to what Lancaster had set up."

"But I thought we had that destroyed." Drew picked Zak up to calm him a little.

"Looks like you didn't." Alex mused, "All I know is that thing combined me with a Wampus Cat twice before the cryptid was shot to death." Komodo and Fisk shared a frightened look, not wanting to have the same fate.

"Then let's shut it down before it can do any more damage." Ben said.

"No, not just yet." Alex grabbed his upper arm before he could move and the elder gave him a wondering look.

"...Why?" Ben asked slowly, wondering why Alex was so much against it.

"Someone else is still combined with a cryptid. It happened before Scorpia fled." he turned to the Saturdays, "Doc, can you figure out how to reverse it?"

"Of course, but who's the one combined this time?"

"..." Alex wasn't sure he wanted to tell them, "Doyle." Spotting the redhead's blaster and grenades on the floor, Alex grabbed them and held them in his hands, which proved his point to the Saturdays. He wasn't sure what to do with the weapons (he wasn't about to give them to Ben just in case the older man confiscated them), so he strapped them on. He hoped he wouldn't have to use them, especially against their owner.

"What?! Then where is he?!" Drew's worry had kicked into overdrive at hearing this. It was bad enough her three sons had been combined, but now her brother?

"He's fine, Drew. I told him to wait outside."

"And he  _listened_?" Alex gave Doc a short glare.

"He may not be the best guy, but he  _does_  listen. And he may not remember me, but he was willing to do whatever I asked. He also could have attacked if I hadn't made him go. He's just as protective of me as before, if not moreso, and he would feel horrible if he found out that he hurt his family, even if it was to protect me. Do you  _want_  him to go through that?" When all he got was silence, he continued, "I thought so." Alex's eyes had gone cold during the short speech and the blond now looked emotionless and cold. Without another word or glance, he walked out to get Doyle, steady on his feet despite what he had gone through.

"...He's not mad at you." Ben sighed, "You just pushed his buttons a bit. He'll be fine once everything is said and done." Komodo didn't stay behind to hear what Ben had to say, he became invisible and followed Alex. Alex would probably see him, but the guy just couldn't go alone, not if there was danger out there. Komodo hated to say it, but he thinks he's starting to like the blond.

* * *

"Doyle?" Alex called out the name before realizing that the half-cryptid might not respond to it, since Doyle didn't seem to remember his human self. Of course Doyle might come because of Alex's voice alone, but that wasn't always certain. Alex looked around as he walked, ears perked and eyes wide for any sort of sound or sight of the half-cryptid. Hearing something behind him, Alex glanced back to see nothing except a slight shimmer in the air. The air was too cool for it to be heat, so Alex stopped. The shimmer continued to get closer until he kicked out. He missed and there was a hiss as Komodo entered the visible spectrum.

"You shouldn't be here." the blond said lowly, "If Doyle comes back and sees you-" Komodo hissed, cutting him off. He knew the danger, but he couldn't let Alex go alone. The spy sighed, but stayed quiet and continued walking. Komodo took a step forward before sensing something was watching him. He looked around but couldn't see anything. He growled, irritated and attracting Alex's attention. The blond once again turned back to him and looked around. But, unlike Komodo, he had the sense to look  _up_.

Above them was a sight Alex didn't expect to see. Doyle was sitting not much higher than Alex was tall, glaring at Komodo with bared fangs. His pristine white fur and teeth, as well as his torn clothes, were stained with some blood, especially on his hands (or were they paws now?). His ears were flat against his head in anger, probably at how close Komodo was to Alex. Had the half-cryptid gone hunting while waiting for him? Alex didn't doubt it if it was the truth, but this was a very dangerous situation. If Komodo made the slightest wrong movement, he was dead. Doyle was pretty strong as a human, and the new cryptid side of him increased his strength to unknown proportions. He could effectively kill Komodo just by landing on him, but there was no way the blond was going to allow that to happen.

"Don't move." Alex hissed. Komodo froze while Doyle gave the spy a curious look. He reached over and picked Alex up by the back of his jacket as if the man weighed nothing and hugged him close. Komodo noticed the movement and looked up, giving a cry of shock when he saw Doyle. The cryptid-man's eyes flashed and he snarled, hugging Alex even closer and irritating the spy's ribs. The blond winced but didn't make a sound in case that made things worse, his mind trying to think up a way out of this.

"Doyle, it's okay. He's not going to hurt me." A low growl rumbled through Doyle's chest, probably in disagreement, "I promise he won't. Put me down so I can show you." Grudgingly, the half-cryptid let go of Alex, but not before he got on the ground as well. He watched closely as the blond went over to Komodo and scratched him under the chin. The lizard immediately forgot about the danger to relish in the scratching, turning over onto his back for more. Alex complied, rubbing his belly. Doyle growled, probably in jealousy, but backed down.

"Good boy." Alex stopped scratching Komodo to give Doyle a scratching under the chin. The half-cryptid gave a growl of happiness and his tail wagged. Komodo hissed something and gave Alex his attention. Doyle's ears twitched and he also looked to Alex. They were probably wondering what to do next.

"Let's get you changed back." Alex grabbed Doyle's arm, "Komodo, lead the way."

* * *

Doyle's eyes flicked about, looking for danger when they entered the room, only looking away when Alex tugged on his arm. The blond seemed to think everything was okay, but how? There were unknown people everywhere that could hurt or even kill him!

"Calm down, you're scaring some people." But that's what Doyle wanted. He wanted to scare them so they couldn't hurt Alex,  _his_  Alex. If they knew Alex was his, they would either hurt the blond or stay very far away. It seemed the later was working right now.

"...That's him?" Doyle looked to the only woman in the room, an albino like himself. She looked both sad and scared for some reason. Why? She must have been scared of him, but why was she so sad?

"Yeah." Alex gave her a nod and walked over to a cylinder thing, taking Doyle with him. Getting a bad feeling from the thing, Doyle stopped in his tracks. Alex tugged at his arm, but the half-cryptid wouldn't budge.

"Alex, need help?" Doyle turned to the voice's owner and he put himself between the black-haired man and Alex. The man was holding a firing thing, like one of the ones he had encountered earlier. They shot out invisible bursts, a few of which grazed him and cut off some fur. If they were sharp enough to cut fur, then they could also cut skin.

"Great, now you've got him worked up again." A hand was put against his chin, beginning to scratch, but Doyle resisted. He couldn't let the man hurt Alex. But if Alex thought he meant no harm, then why was the man carrying a firing thing?

"It's okay." Alex told him, "Ben's not going to hurt me and neither is anyone else." It was like Alex had read his mind. Trusting the blond, Doyle leaned into the touch and allowed Alex to take him wherever the blond wanted. He walked forward, eyes closed with pleasure, until they stopped. Just before Doyle opened his eyes, he was shoved forward and ran into something metal. A clang was heard and he knew he had been pushed and locked into the cylinder thing. Heart hurting in betrayal, Doyle howled and pounded at the door.

* * *

"Start it!" Though the latch was enough to contain most cryptids, Doyle was no ordinary cryptid and Alex had to lean against the door to keep it from opening. The spy could hear the metal of the latch screaming each time Doyle hit the door and knew it wouldn't last long.

"What about the cryptid Doyle's combined with?!" Ben asked as he joined Alex in keeping the door closed.

"Let me handle it." Zak brought out his stick ("For the last time, THE CLAW IS NOT A STICK!"  **"May I remind you that I'M writing the story? You have no say right now!"**  "Fine!") and held it outwards like he would a club.

"I'd rather just have it shot instead of hitting it on the head with a stick!" Ben growled.

"Trust the kid, Ben. He knows what he's doing." Alex defended. Yet, even though Zak said he could handle it, the other soldiers had their guns ready. Zak focused his power into the Claw like so many times before, but now he was unsure if he would be able to do it. After he was freed from Kur, he discovered that he had some of his power left, but no where near as much as before. He only hoped he could keep the Amarok still long enough so that his uncle would be okay. He had seen the blood on Doyle and the scars around his wrists, the pool of blood made by the dead Wampus Cat. Even though he had seen Van Rook die and technically died himself, the boy was still not used to it or blood. He hoped that he wouldn't have any nightmares or a dead uncle at the end of the day.

As the chamber slowed, Zak felt a sudden surge in his powers, similar to when he had encountered Kur hotspots. But how? Kur was gone from him, so how was he getting a surge now? And if so, why didn't he get one earlier? Zak had no time to think about it because it was that that moment the chamber latch was undone and the door opened. Quickly finding the mind of the Amarok, Zak got into its mind. Because of the painful combining and diffusion, the Amarok was confused and easily compliable. He guided the Amarok back to the cage as Alex checked on Doyle, who was just as confused and hurting as the Amarok was. As soon as the cage door was closed by one of the soldiers, Zak relaxed.

"Haven't had to control a cryptid in a while." he sighed quietly to himself. He was hugged by Fisk, who gave a few words of happiness at what Zak had done.

"Did you feel like you got run over by a bus when you changed back?" Doyle groaned and Alex helped him to his feet.

"Yeah, but it came more from the lingering pain of my previous wounds. I went through that thing once before you came to the rescue the second time."

"I have a lot more respect for your endurance and tolerance for pain."

"Do you remember anything?"

"Not really." Doyle rubbed his head, "You were there, though. You faded in and out, but you were there. I don't remember anything else though." Alex frowned, but it quickly disappeared.

"Same thing happened to me, but you weren't in it. But let's talk about that later, okay?" Alex gestured for Ben to come over, "Doyle, this is Ben. Ben, Doyle." Ben held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you in person. Did Alex's luck rub off on you or something?" Doyle took the offered hand with contempt.

"It's not so much as Alex's luck as my own. I've had a tough life."

"So has Alex."

"I'm still here, you know." The blond crossed his arms.

"Heh, sorry." The handshake was broken. Alex also gave Doyle back his blaster and grenade belt.

"Thanks for your help, Ben." the blond smiled, "I thought you were in England, though. How'd you get here so quickly?"

"The CIA borrowed me and I was just about to go back home when Doyle called." Ben gave the redhead a glare, "You're lucky I was in the area."

"Yeah yeah..." Doyle glared back.

"Drop it." Alex snapped, getting between them, "Again, thanks for the help, but we need to head home. There's some stuff I need to explain and you don't need to be there."

"Understood. And I'll try to keep them out of the report as much as possible."

"Good. And before you leave, destroy this thing." Alex nodded to the 'Cryptid Combiner,' as he had mentally dubbed it, "And keep it out of the report too, if you can. We don't want this to happen a third time." Ben nodded and gave Alex a salute. The blond smiled again and saluted back. He then turned, grabbed Doyle's arm, and dragged the redhead towards the Saturdays.

"I'll explain everything once we get back to the ship." Alex whispered as he passed them, "Until then, keep quiet." With the spy having all the cards and them having none, the Saturdays saw no choice but to follow his lead.

"Before we leave, we need to pick up Zon." Doyle added.

"Where is she?"

"Not far. She also got a good vantage point on everything outside this place."

 _Maybe she can tell us why you were so bloody, then._  Drew thought as she followed behind the two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The blood that Alex and Doyle gained from attacking others disappeared when they changed back, as well as their clothes fixing themselves.


	11. Questions (To An Unknown Killer)

"What happened?" Drew asked once the ship was on autopilot towards home. Zon had been nervous around Doyle since they had got her back, indicating that she knew something, and Alex had been silent since leaving the bunker.

"What part do you want to start with?" Doyle was sitting beside Alex in the small living room they had on the ship. The rest of the Saturdays were around the room, looking at the two in a new light, especially Alex. Until now, they hadn't really thought of what went into spying, about how dangerous it was. And with how often Alex and Doyle seemed to indicate it happened, the Saturdays felt sick. How could anyone force another person to go through something life-threatening every other day? They went through dangerous things a lot, yeah, but usually it wasn't life-threatening. And how could the two seem so casual about it?!

"What's Scorpia?" Doc asked, "We know they're some sort of criminal organization, but we don't what they do or what they want."

"They're a terrorist organization." Alex spoke, not meeting anyone's eyes, "If you have enough money and the right motives, they'll do it. They used to be THE terrorist organization, the best of everything that made a terrorist. The reason they're so fixated on me is because I brought them down from their perch several times and pretty much destroyed them. I'm kind of surprised it took them this long to come back, but it's sort of expected. They want revenge on me after I made them failures in the eyes of other terrorist organizations and won't rest until I'm dead. They don't care how I die, they just want me dead, though it looks like they'd prefer to kill me themselves after torturing me first. They hate me that much." Alex gave a sigh, "Maybe I should leave so this doesn't happen again."

"No way." Doyle shook his head, "It's my fault you were caught by Abbey. I didn't protect you well enough."

"How could you? You were literally miles away."

"Doesn't mean it doesn't make me feel bad, not being there for you. I wasn't there when I should have been, and it makes me feel awful."

"You had a job to do. Besides, how could anyone have predicted that the security system could have been bypassed so easily? Well, maybe me, but let's get back to asking questions instead of making this a mushy scene. We don't need that right now." Alex moved to place his hand over Doyle's, indicating that they would talk more about it later.

"Where did you get the scars?" Zak asked. Doyle clenched his fists.

"What scars?"

"You know the ones he means." Alex said, "Without your gloves, they showed up like spotlights." Drew and Doc shared a confused look. What had Zak seen that they hadn't?

"I'd rather not talk about it." Doyle narrowed his eyes and moved to cover his wrists, taking his hand away from Alex's. The blond did nothing to stop him.

"But-"

"Leave it be for now." Drew was the one to rein her son in, "He'll tell us when he wants to, right?" She glanced up at her brother to see him nod.

"Yeah, I will." Suddenly Alex's phone began to ring and Doyle scowled.

"Don't they leave you alone for a minute?" he growled.

"It's just Ben." Alex answered after checking the caller ID, "Let me take this in private for a second." He walked out into the hall while answering the phone.

"What is it?"

"Found some bodies and blood trails a distance from the bunker. Some bled out, but most of them came to a clearing before they were attacked. Quite a few of those in the clearing had some chunks of flesh torn out or broken bones." Alex glanced back into the room he had left to see the family still talking.

"The ones that bled out are probably from me when I was part cryptid, but the ones in the clearing are probably from Doyle. He must have tracked them down and taken them out. But is there one that has tanned skin and short black hair with dark eyes?"

"They all look like that."

"Is there a short one, around my height?" There was some muttering on the other side of the line.

"No, they're all pretty tall. Why?"

"Then you didn't get the ringleader. His name is Keith and he seemed to be leading the whole scheme." Alex sighed, "Looks like he's going to pull a HYDRA after this."

"HYDRA?" Alex smirked at Ben's question.

"I'll tell you later. Anyway, see if you can get any clues on what they were doing their besides wanting revenge."

"Yeah, that's something else I was going to talk about. They had stock of supplies they were going to trade, but after checking them, I noticed a few grams of methamphetamine were gone."

"The drug? Some of the gang could have gotten greedy."

"I don't think so. They kept a meticulous eye on their stock and the latest list came the day before they went after you. We also searched the bodies and there was no methamphetamine."

"Then it must have been her."

"Who?"

"Abbey Grey. She's a mercenary that can be hired out to get things for other people, including stealing artifacts and-"

"Alexnapping?" The blond rolled his eyes, but nodded.

"Yeah. But she doesn't seem like the type to do drugs, so why would she take some from her employers? She was in fit condition when she whipped me." Alex winced at the memory and subconsciously touched the spot where his bullet wound was.

"Not sure. Did she have a motive at all?"

"She wants me dead as much as Scorpia does, but because she wants Doyle to herself."

"Hmm... For now, let's keep this between us and try to think up an answer. I've got to go, so talk to you later?"

"Sure. Just don't tell MI6."

"You have my word." They ended the call and Alex looked back into the room again. Everything seemed to be normal, but now he was dreading to go back in. Alex didn't want to tell his ex that he killed possibly a dozen men and ate some of their flesh, he  _really_ didn't. Honestly, who would?

"Any other questions?" he asked as he returned to his seat, "As long as they aren't about the phonecall, I'll answer." Zak's and Fisk's hands, which had gone up at first, slowly went down.

"What about the blood?" Doc asked. Doyle was confused while everyone else knew what he meant.

"About that... It's a bit graphic, so Zak might not want to be in here when we talk about it." Alex said.

"I'm 13!" Zak protested, "I'm not a child anymore!"

"You still have a curfew and if Alex says you don't need to know, then you don't." Drew said.

"But-!"

"No buts, Zak." Doc said, "I'm sure we can give you a less graphic version later." Alex raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Aw..." Though he was still frustrated that he wouldn't be able to hear the full story, the tanned boy left, Fisk going with him to keep him out of trouble.

"The blood was partially what the phonecall was about." Alex said once the footsteps of the two were far off, "Bodies were found at a distance from the bunker. Some had bled to death before they got there, which were most likely the ones that I attacked, but the majority of them were found in a clearing, torn up." Zon cawed and nodded, agreeing with Alex's series of events.

"Why am I the only one who doesn't know what's going on?" Doyle glared at Alex.

"Because you don't remember."

"Don't remember?" The redhead frowned until the realization hit him. He went pale with eyes wide in shock.

"I...was covered in blood? The blood of those men?" he gasped, feeling sick. His hand rose to cover his mouth in an attempt to prevent himself from trying to throw up. Alex nodded.

"That's not all." The spy paused, not wanting to go on. Drew stood and got a garbage can for Doyle, knowing he would need it when Alex continued. Her brother nodded in gratefulness as he took the can.

"Well? Did I eat parts of them too?" he asked weakly, "Amaroks are maneaters, after all."

"...Yes. A few here and there, but you left them recognizable." Alex rubbed Doyle's back soothingly as he left himself be sick.

"Is...is this how you feel every time you kill someone?" the redhead asked when he had finished.

"Probably for most people, but not me. You eventually learn to get over being sick if you do it enough times."

"How cruel can people be?" Doc shook his head in disgust.

"Crueler than you would think." Alex answered, "I tried destroying the part of me MI6 created once upon a time, but I got drawn back in and I've never left." he met Drew's and Doc's eyes, where they flinched at the emptiness inside, "I've seen things that no one should have to see, but sometimes I have no choice but to see them. And if you think I don't get nightmares, you're wrong. I have them every time I close my eyes and they will  _never_ go away. I've learned to cope with them, but some people can't cope with what they've seen, and I don't blame them." The spy stood, "I've going to go get Doyle a breath mint. If you want to know anything about me, go ahead and ask. Doyle can answer your questions." Alex then left, heading to his room.

"Are you okay?" Drew took the blond's seat to check on her brother. He nodded, though he was still pale.

"I can't- I mean, how could I-" Doyle shivered, "How could I have done something like that?"

"It wasn't you. You had protective instincts over Alex and the Amarok took them too far." Drew gently hugged him, "It wasn't your fault."

"..." Doyle didn't answer her, "...Anyway, what do you want to know about Alex? He said I could answer them if you wanted to ask."

"We've got plenty of questions, such as-" Doc was silenced with a glare from his wife.

"We do, but we're going to save them for a better time to ask. You need comfort, Alex's secrets can wait." Doyle smiled slightly.

"Thanks, Drew."

"No problem, Doyle." Doc sighed to himself and turned away, feeling like a third wheel. Ever since Alex had arrived, he had felt that way somewhat. Doyle fawned over Alex and Drew wanted to protect Doyle, leaving Doc out of the family bonding time. He didn't mind that much, but it did feel lonely. Taking another look at them, Doc left so they could be alone. He had no siblings, they were brother and sister. They deserved to have their time together without Doc watching over them.

* * *

"How are you holding up?" Alex asked when they had gone to their room to settle down for the night.

"Surprisingly well." Doyle said, "It's heartbreaking, though."

"How?" Alex, for once in his life, didn't understand.

"They may have been assassins, but what if some had families? What if they left behind people they cared about? I took their lives away without a thought to their families..."

"I doubt they had anything to go back to. Cold-blooded killers don't love."

"Alex-" Doyle began, then paused. As he looked in Alex's eyes, he knew the other was wrong. After all, Alex was a cold-blooded killer and he loved Doyle, right?

"Besides," the blond softened, "it wasn't your fault. I know how guilt feels. It was the Amarok who did it, not you. One of the few things that separates humans from animals is our ability to feel guilt. Assassins lose the right to be human when they have no feelings of guilt. You're not an assassin and neither am I. We're not animals like the Amarok, so it wasn't you who did it. Please understand that."

"Then could you please sleep with me tonight? To reassure me of that fact, to help keep the nightmares away?" Alex blinked, though he wasn't that surprised.

"Are you sure?" Doyle grabbed Alex's wrist and tugged the blond into his arms, hugging him.

"Positive." he whispered, "I'm scared, Alex. I'm scared it'll happen again."

"...I'll make sure it doesn't." The spy hugged Doyle back.

* * *

A few days passed since the incident and now Doc and Drew were trying to find their boy. Zak and Doyle had gotten along pretty well right from when they first met, but so far the boy seemed to be avoiding Alex, and it made them worried. Until now, that is.

"Get in the vent."

"But it's dusty!"

"It's also a great hiding place."

"...Point taken." With Alex's help, Zak climbed into the air-conditioning vent.

"Just what is going on in here?" Drew crossed her arms. The blond gave them a disarming smile.

"Just teaching Zak a few tricks. Seeing as your security system failed spectacularly, I'm teaching him how to defend himself a bit better." Doc huffed at the insult.

"Just because it was bypassed doesn't mean it doesn't work."

"Then why didn't you fix it after I got in?" Alex had Doc there, "And anyway, we've been practicing these past few days with a bit of hide-and-seek. Zak tries to find me for 5 hours and if he does, I teach him something new. This is the first time he's managed to do it."

"I nearly ran out of time yesterday, but I found him!" Zak called from the vent.

"And now, if you'll excuse us, we have some cleaning to do." Alex climbed into the vent.

"Wait, cleaning?! You didn't say anything about cleaning!"

"You're going to be cleaning with your body wherever you go and it's not an option. The dust will cling and, though it makes you sneeze, it gives you good camouflage. Now, get going."

"Fine..." There were clunks and bangs as Zak made his way through the vent.

"Alex had been teaching Zak well, hasn't he?" Drew asked.

"I suppose, though it's a bit reckless." Doc said, "It's almost like Doyle is teaching Zak all over again."

"Well, Alex taught Doyle most of what he knows. It's only natural that their training styles are similar."

"I hope Zak won't be put in any danger, though with Alex's luck, I doubt it."

"What luck?" Drew gave her husband a curious look.

"Doyle told me Alex doesn't have the best luck sometimes. I hope it doesn't kick in now, like it did with the security system."

"So you admit it was faulty." Drew raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not! I'm just saying Alex has bad luck."

"Uh huh..." They began to leave the room when Drew's phone beeped. She took a look and raised an eyebrow.

"Guests?" Doc asked.

"Francis and Epsilon. Seems they've got things they want to discuss with us."

"Either that or it has to do with Alex. Again."

"You're right, he  _does_ have bad luck if they're after him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. If you know Marvel comics, then you know what Alex meant by 'pulling a HYDRA.'


	12. The Gray Men (Who Have Issues With Alex)

Neither Francis nor Epsilon wanted to be there, but they had business to discuss with not only the Saturdays but Alex as well.  _Especially_  Alex. They knew Alex was rooming with the Saturdays for the time being, so they could hit two birds with one stone, but they wanted to hit Alex's bird down with a slingshot then set it on fire before going over it with a steamroller, shooting the spot repeatedly, then salting the ground. To summarize, their relationship with the British spy was not on the best of terms.

"Doc, Drew, how nice to see you again." Epsilon shook hands with the other two adults as Francis looked around, uneasy. This was not the first time they had gone to talk to Alex and he suddenly appeared at the most unexpected time and place.

"You too." Doc said, "Why come here, anyway? We could have talked over the phone if you wanted."

"Yes, but what I have to talk about is too sensitive for the privacy of phones."

"I see. Let's go talk in the lab." Drew suggested, "You can come too, Francis."

"Thank you, Mrs. Saturday. I'd like that very much." Francis was genuinely grateful for the offer and followed closely behind them. However, when they got halfway there, Zak suddenly fell out of a vent in front of them.

"I'm okay!" he said, rubbing his head as Alex poked his head out of the vent. As the blond had said, both were now covered in dust (so much that it made them look almost blob-like and grayish), some of which caused Zak to sneeze.

"I think that's enough for today." Alex spoke, eyes locked onto the green agents as soon as he saw them, "Go get a bath, Zak." Knowing that if he argued his parents would back Alex, Zak complied. He gave a friendly smile to Francis when he saw them, but frowned when he noticed the fear etched into the other's boy's body. Francis was staring at Alex like the blond was a predator ready to pounce and Zak knew something was wrong. Leaving the room, he stayed to the side of the door to listen in, trying not to sneeze so he wouldn't be found.

"Agent Rider." Epsilon greeted icily after Alex got out of the vent. The blond spy gave each green agent and nod in turn as he spoke their names.

"Agent Epsilon, Agent Francis. I didn't expect you to be friends with the Saturdays." Alex greeted them more kindly, though there was still a cold edge to his tone.

"The feeling is mutual. I don't suppose I could spare you away for a moment to talk in private?" Alex gave Epsilon a smile, though this one was much darker than usual.

"Lead the way." Francis was left with the Saturdays as Alex and Epsilon left the room. Zak had hid when he heard them approach and was now following them down the hall as best he could, which was very good. Though he needed practice in going through vents quietly, he was good at following others thanks to Doyle. But when they entered a room and locked the door behind them Zak had to press his ear against it to catch the conversation.

"Are you going to deny me the answer to Francis' secret once again?" Epsilon asked.

"What do you think? As long as you don't know the words, the kid is insurance. If MI6 did the same as your people did, then wouldn't you have made the same threats?"

"That would be because you're too powerful."

"And you aren't? We're the best agents in the world, Epsilon, from different agencies. I know you don't care about Francis except for his potential, but I care about him as a person. That's why I made sure his life was in my hands. I am going to get him out of your grip and there will be nothing you can do about it. Not you, not your people,  _no one_."

"Why do you care about him? I know your history with clones, it's on your file."

"My very thin file, you mean. But yes, I do have a history with them, and that's why I hate you. You aren't the same as Julius, but not caring for any living being whatsoever almost makes you as bad as the people you fight against."

"Spies blur the line between monsters and men all the time."

"Your people do it more often than most."

"Well, at least my people never recruited someone who was completely unfit to be a spy."

"I suppose, but I never  _wanted_  to be one, yet I can't leave. Neither can you, but that's because you have a different contract. Your people are the only ones you've known, and though you've been trained to go out and mingle with the world, if you actually went and tried, you would stick out like orange on a blue background. You don't fit, you never would, but I would because I lived a life before being a spy. You always were and are a spy, so there's no way you can be normal."

"You're not normal, either, and I'm not talking about being a spy."

" _Leave him out of this_." Alex's voice was suddenly dangerously low and seething.

"No. You haven't left Francis alone, so I won't leave Doyle alone. If you kill Francis, then my people and I will make sure Doyle dies too."

"...You drive a hard bargain."

"So do you. Now, let's return to the Saturdays before they get too suspicious."

"Agreed." Zak had to scramble to get out of sight, but he managed to do so just as the door was unlocked and opened. The boy didn't follow them again, he sat on the ground and thought. Alex had a fail-safe way to kill Francis and Epsilon wanted to know what it was. But if Francis died, then Doyle would die as well. Alex also had a history with clones, so apparently Epsilon and Francis weren't the only ones he encountered. Who was Julius? Was he a clone Alex encountered? And why did Alex say Epsilon wouldn't be able to 'mingle with the world?' Why did Alex say he was threatening Francis' life to save him? Zak rubbed his head. It was a lot to take in, but he knew it was important. He also didn't know if he should tell his parents, since they didn't seem to know Francis or Epsilon were clones. Doyle was closely involved, so should he tell his uncle? Possibly not, because Alex would figure out Zak told someone somehow. But there were three others Zak could tell his secret to: his cryptid siblings. Since no one could understand them but him, the secret would be safe and they would be able to advise him.

Standing, Zak nodded to himself and went off to find Fisk, Komodo, and Zon. They had a lot to talk about before someone discovered he hadn't had his bath.

* * *

Francis gave a sigh of relief when Epsilon left the room with Alex. If he had had to go with them, he didn't know if he would be able to stand it. Alex may have acted nice and calm to the Saturdays, but to Francis he was Death itself. One world and Francis would die, literally. Alex had demonstrated the 'Words of Death' once, to show his power over the Gray Men. Francis had never felt so much pain in his life and never wanted to go through it again. He was lucky there was a backup word that stopped him from dying, but without knowing it, he would never be safe. And though he clearly heard the words that caused and stopped his death, he could never remember them.

"Are you okay, Francis?" The boy jumped when Drew spoke and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Y-yes, Mrs. Saturday, I'm fine." He was lucky she couldn't see his eyes, hidden behind his goggles. If she could, she would have seen the fear they held, the terror Francis had of Alex. He turned when he heard footsteps, seeing Epsilon and Alex come back. Alex rubbed his head with a dusty hand once he got close and knelt next to him. The blond wouldn't  _dare_  use the word in front of the Saturdays, right? And yet Francis didn't know for sure, so he closed his eyes.

"Nice trick you did." Alex whispered, "Nearly sent MI6 into a frenzy when you got that code. Too bad it didn't work out all that well. If it wasn't for the fact that you're an agent of the Gray Men and way too young, I would have suggested you join me." Alex gave him a dark smile before standing and pulling his hand away. Francis blinked, confused. Had Death just complimented him? The blond had never done that before. What had changed to make it so?

"Come along, Francis. There are things we need to discuss with the Saturdays." The boy was only too happy to oblige in following the elder agent, running over and actually grasping his hand. Briefly afraid that Epsilon would let go, Francis was happily surprised when he didn't. He could feel Alex's stare on his back, but Francis didn't want to ruin the moment by looking. He knew they weren't out of the woods yet, but he wanted to keep the happy moment as long as he could.

* * *

_Pain. That was all he could truly feel as he struggled to breathe, someone holding him up. He was much too weak to stand on his own, all of his energy going into breathing, though his body was trying to fight against him. The MI6 agent had said something to him to cause this, but he couldn't remember what it was. Whatever the word was, though, caused him pain._

_"Why do this? What do you have to gain?" said someone above him, possibly the person holding him up._

_"To give a show of force." said the MI6 agent, "I'm pretty sure you would have done the same if the roles were reversed. He is my reassurance against all of you in case you ever decide to turn evil and try to harm the world or myself. You can do whatever you want to my employers, I don't care about them, but I can't allow you to hurt innocent people." A word was whispered in his ear and suddenly the pain was gone. He wasn't trying to stop breathing any more. Taking in big gulps of air, he curled more into the body holding him for comfort. He didn't remember the word, it had left his mind as soon as the pain had._

_"We don't need the child." said another random person._

_"Oh? Then why fret so much over him if you didn't? You need fresh samples for cloning and because he's getting up in years, I doubt you'll be able to clone Epsilon much longer. That's why Francis is so important to you. He's still very useful while Epsilon isn't. All you want is power, which is why I made this fail-safe so you can't. Everyone is restricted in some way, there is always someone better than them. In this case, I'm the one that's restricting you, just like how terrorists and intelligence agencies restrict each other."_

_"Is this your own idea or MI6's?"_

_"My own. They don't seem to think you're dangerous, but I know better._ Addio ai dannato _." As the agent walked away, the boy allowed himself to fall asleep, too tired to face the rest of the day or what would come next. He would probably get punished for it, but he didn't care as long as the punishment wasn't as harsh as the pain he had felt._

* * *

Two stones were given to the Mondays when they returned: one blue stone and one brown stone, both with the rings inside them. The blue sapphire held the golden ring while the brown jasper held the brass ring. Having made the payment when they first ordered the stones, they left with the items in hand.

"Now we can punish the Saturdays for all they've done." Drew said, a wicked smile on her face, "They will pay very dearly for taking my son away!"

"Yes, and do you suppose your brother would like to join in the fun?" Komodo asked.

"He'll probably want his own revenge, but I haven't seen him in a while. Unless he pops up sometime soon, we'll get rid of the Saturdays ourselves."

"Good plan, good plan." Doc nodded.

"Then do we take them out now or what?" Fisk growled. Like Komodo, he and Zon Monday could talk as well as any human.

"From what the woman explained, all we have to do is scratch them and the recipient will feel its effects." Komodo said, "I do wonder what would happen if we cracked or even broke them completely, however."

"Only one way to find out." Drew knelt to the ground and viciously rubbed the sapphire against the concrete. When she pulled it away, there were definite scuff marks to it and the ring was glowing.

"Let's go check to see if this worked. There's got to be a mirror around here somewhere, right?"

* * *

Sudden pain had come to his side, causing him to gasp and grasp the area. Pausing his game, Doyle looked down at his right-hand side. Lifting his hand, he found that the cloth of his shirt hadn't been broken, but it was still stained red despite its dark color. Wincing when he stood, he went back to his room to raid some of his own medical supplies, though Doc had gotten some more after the Wampus Cat/Amarok incident. However, his mind was mostly focused on how he had suddenly gotten hurt. How had it happened and out of nowhere, no less? It hadn't even broken his shirt, yet he had somehow gotten hurt underneath.

Once in his room, he turned to the small mirror in his closet and took off his shirt. He used it and a handheld mirror to check himself after missions for bruises and other injuries he felt but couldn't see, but this took the cake. A large gash had been cut into his side, big and thick, yet it seemed to be shallow. That was good, at least. Taking off his shirt and pressing it into the wound (it was already bloodstained, wouldn't hurt to stain it a little more), he took his emergency First-Aid kit out from under his bed and began trying to treat himself. After having to treat Alex after his missions, Doyle had learned a little on how to treat himself. That included sewing up a wound (which both hurt and made him feel a little sick) and wrapping it in bandages, as well as disinfecting it.

Somehow, he didn't feel surprised by this turn of events and his gut-feeling told him that it had something to do with the Mondays. It didn't make much sense, but Doyle knew it was the only thing that made any sense. It was at that moment Alex came in, drying his hair with a towel and wearing one of Doc's bathrobes, a dark red one that was also a favorite of Doyle's. The spy stopped when he saw Doyle, his eyes going slightly wider as the redhead blushed. He felt uncomfortable with Alex being naked around him, but he wasn't going to mention it now.

"What happened?" the blond snapped, throwing the towel onto the bed before going to check on the ex-mercenary.

"I don't know." Doyle answered, "It just happened. I was playing a game when suddenly a wound opened up in my side. It's big but shallow and I managed to patch myself up."

"Where is it?"

"Right side." When Alex pressed a hand onto the tender spot, Doyle hissed in pain. Quickly the blond let go.

"Did you clean and disinfect it?"

"Disinfected it, yeah, but I didn't clean it."

"...Good enough." Alex was definitely worried for him, but his voice had a faraway note to it, as if his mind was elsewhere.

"Something wrong?"

"You getting hurt is what's wrong."

"That's not what I meant and you know it." Alex sighed.

"You're too perceptive for your own good."

"I learned from the best. Now tell me what's going on in that head of your's."

"Epsilon and Francis were here and just left. Their agents and I don't get along well and I'm afraid they may have somehow hurt you."

" _Them_?" Doyle scoffed, "Unless I somehow offended them, I doubt they're the ones that hurt me. If you want to know, I think it's the Mondays."

"How? You just don't get injured out of nowhere, there has to be a reason."

"You're just as bad as Doc with thinking it's always scientific. This has got 'mystical artifact' written all over it and the last time I dealt with one of those, I sent everyone into hiding." Doyle's ears burned with shame as he remembered the incident in Antarctica.

"We think the Mondays have our rings, too, so this might be connected. Maybe they stole the rings to somehow use them against us?"

"How?"

"I don't know, but I'm willing to go ask Drew." Alex took a look in the closet and threw Doyle a plain blue shirt, "Here, put this on so they don't get worried. I like the kid, but I don't want to freak Zak out. He's been through enough already."

"Maybe he has, but he can handle more than what you think." Doyle spoke as he put on the shirt, wincing as he did so, "He's not a kid, Alex. We may baby him, but he's old enough to know some things. He knows about death, he had to deal with Argost and Van Rook, not to mention nearly getting himself killed. He's no stranger to it, but he's not that familiar with it, either."

"Maybe so, but there are some things that no one should know. He's not much younger than me when I had to..." Alex trailed off and grit his teeth as he remembered something, "I just want him to be safe. He has a family, unlike me, and he shouldn't have to lose it. I lost my uncle when I was a year older than him and my parents when I was around 3 weeks old. He shouldn't have to lose you or anyone else, especially not in the ways I have." he grabbed a few of Doyle's clothes to put on, "We really need to go shopping after this. I've been borrowing your clothes for weeks now, as well as Doc's, yet the only pants that seem to fit me around here are Drew's."

"Why didn't you bring your own?" Doyle raised an eyebrow.

"...I honestly didn't think I was going to stay this long." Alex looked over his shoulder at the redhead and smiled, "I'd glad I did. Aren't you?" Doyle smiled back.

"Yeah, a bit." He watched silently as Alex left the room. After the Wampus Cat/Amarok incident, Alex had begun to sleep with Doyle again and so the guest bed had been moved out. Sleeping together also reminded Doyle of how much he missed Alex, which was way much more than he would like to admit. He missed Alex's comfort in the night and comforting the blond back when Alex had nightmares. He missed the bruises and fractured bones he would accidentally get in return and Alex's ashamed face, full of tears and apologies over something the blond couldn't control. Doyle missed everything about sleeping together, but he was very uncomfortable with it. The last time he had slept with Alex, the next morning the spy had disappeared and never come back. Doyle was afraid that Alex would leave again if they slept in the same bed once more. So far, he was being proven wrong.

But just how long would that last?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Addio ai dannato = Goodbye to the damned (Italian) (Using Google Translate, correct me if this is wrong)
> 
> 2\. Alex hates MI6, but they've rubbed their paranoia off onto him, which has caused him to use Francis as leverage against the Gray Men. My idea is that when you're cloning, the genetic material has to be from someone who is relatively young. The Gray Men got some genetic material from Epsilon when he was almost out of that stage to create Francis, but now he's too old for that to work anymore. And if Francis dies, they'll lose their super agent, so Alex has them on the ropes.
> 
> 3\. The memory is from Francis' POV on the day Alex demonstrated his control over them. I'm not exactly sure what the code words do to him except cause him pain and force him to stop breathing. When that happens, it's basically a fight between brain and body for the kid, his brain wanting him to breathe but his body forcing him to stop. The 'code words' part I got from BioShock.
> 
> 4\. Though Alex is using Francis as leverage against the Gray Men, he's also trying to free Francis from their control. But with his history with clones, it's hard for the blond to think of the young agent as a real person, with true thoughts and feelings that don't involve torturing and murdering Alex. Said previous experience was caused by Julius, who has appeared against Alex twice in the AR series, Point Blanc and Scorpia Rising. So, even though he's trying to help Francis, Alex might be prejudiced against him as well.
> 
> 5\. Doyle Monday and Drew Monday are not on the best of terms with each other, but if you knew what was going on with Doyle's side of the story, you would be wishing he was with his family right now. *evil giggle* As for the reason the other Monday cryptids talk, it's based around Komodo Monday. Not everyone in that world has one difference, you can have many, and I thought, 'If Komodo Monday can talk, why can't the other cryptids?' So Fisk Monday and Zon Monday being able to talk is now one of my headcanons.


	13. Of Pools, Handcuffs, and Translators

_"Well, this is interesting." Alex muttered, coming into the room while holding the mail. He had just gone to retrieve it and had spotted an unusual letter on top._

_"What is it?" Doyle looked up from two wrist blasters he was working on, which he said that could be used to create water and ice in a pinch if mixed correctly. The blond doubted it, but he wasn't going to say anything to dampen the redhead's spirits. After all, though Doyle had a nice place to stay at, the taller man was not the kind who liked to stay in one spot for long. It had already been two weeks since Alex had to take in the other male and so far, no suspicions had been raised, except Doyle kept wanting to go out and Alex had to keep holding him back._

_"The tenants below us have invited me to a pool party on the roof. I can bring another person if I want to and it's going to be held at 6 this evening."_

_"Can I come?" Alex looked up from the card._

_"I don't know. I told you before, our enemies could be watching us. That's why the hologram was set up when I went on my mission, you know that."_

_"But why would they observe a pool party?" Doyle asked, "If we have to pretend to have sex and I'm unwilling, then I would have bruises and cuts on me, wouldn't I? No one would let their 'sex slave' go out like that, would they? So what are the chances they would be looking for us at the pool party?" Alex sighed internally. Doyle had a point, but it was still dangerous. He also knew that the redhead had an ulterior motive since the first mission Alex had gone on. The Brit had come back injured and hadn't answered any of Doyle's questions, which the redhead had thrown at him for a week almost constantly. Doyle knew he was a spy, but until then hadn't realized how much danger Alex could be in and the blond didn't want to worry him more by adding details._

_"If we go," Alex began, "do you promise not to ask anymore about what happened in Brazil?" Doyle paused._

_"...Yes." the redhead nodded, "I promise not to ask, even though it's eating me up."_

_"Good." Feeling that he could trust Doyle to his word, Alex went to change and get ready._

* * *

_During the party, Doyle had noticed that Alex hadn't gone into the water once, not even after he had tripped the redhead into the pool (which the redhead was sure was now bound to make him terrified of pools for the rest of his life). He had promised not to ask anything about Alex's mission, but the blond hadn't said anything about asking him why he didn't go into the pool. Loopholes were useful once you knew how to exploit them..._

_"Alex?" the redhead asked as he dried his hair. They were walking down the hall back to their room and Alex was pulling out the key card._

_"Yeah?" After checking the hall to make sure no one else was watching, the blond unlocked the door._

_"Why didn't you get into the pool? Are you afraid of water or something? Can you swim?" They went into their apartment and Alex closed the door._

_"I can swim and I'm not afraid, but I have my reasons."_

_"Hold it." Doyle grabbed Alex's arm. He saw the Brit flinch but didn't stop, "You need my help in this operation and you saved my life. The least you can do is tell me what happens to you whenever you leave on a mission. I know you're a spy, I know I'm part of a sting, but I deserve to know as much about what's going on as a spy does, otherwise someone's going to get hurt and might just die, which could be me, you, or someone caught in the crossfire."_

_"..." Alex was quiet and kept his head turned away._

_"I'm not stupid, Alex. I know you're keeping secrets and for most of them, that's fine. But if they endanger the life of my friend or someone else's, I think I have the right to know."_

_"What friend?"_

_"You, dummy." Doyle released him and rubbed the blond's hair, "You might not think of me as a friend, but I know you're one to me. You've given me shelter, food, you even saved me from a fate worse than death. And if something happened to you, well... I wouldn't be able to live with myself, knowing one of my very few friends died because I didn't know how to save them. So please, tell me what's going on."_

_"...Come with me and don't mention a word of this to anyone." Alex grabbed the hand on his head and tugged Doyle into the bathroom with him. It was there where he took off his t-shirt and exposed a map of scars across his torso. Doyle's eyes went wide at the sight and gently placed a hand on Alex's right shoulder, where there was bright pink skin, different from a slight tan that covered the rest of the blond's body._

_"Brazil didn't cause all this, but I do have a scar from it somewhere." Alex spoke quietly, "After every mission, I get a scar, either physical or mental. If my shirt got wet, it would have stuck to my body and become partially see-through, exposing my scars to other people. I didn't want anyone to question me or let it get out, because if it did, our whole operation would have failed on the spot."_

_"...And you keep getting these after_ every _mission? You hid all of this from me?" Doyle was appalled at what Alex was telling him, moving his hand from the Brit's shoulder to his chest, where there was another nasty wound that stood out from all the others._

_"Sniper bullet to the chest." Alex gave a grim smile, "And yeah, I do. This is why I wear long clothes, so no one can see them and I won't be identified. In fact, you've seen a scar every day and haven't commented on it." Alex held up his left hand a pointed to the back of it, where there was a small, almost invisible line that ran horizontally across it._

_"How do you live like this? How are you even_ alive _?"_

_"I'm not alive. I died long ago, but my body keeps going. I wouldn't be able to live if I didn't. And I've nearly died physically several times, especially from the sniper. That was the closest I ever came to death, I think. At least a death that would have been quick, since I think I saw my parents when I was shot. If I overexert myself too much, it gives me breathing problems, but it hasn't for a while now, so I think I'm finally getting used to it."_

_"..." Doyle moved away from Alex, taking his hands with him, "I'm sorry I pushed."_

_"Don't be." the blond put his shirt back on, "You had no idea what you were up against, but you wanted to know so you could help me. You also treated me, even when I didn't answer you, and you kept up trying to know what was going on. You are a stupidly brave, tenacious guy that thinks of_ me _as a friend. I don't have friends, Doyle, but if someone thinks I'm a friend, then I take what I can get." Alex stepped out of the room, "Now get a shower before you catch a cold."_

_"Wait." the taller man caught the closing door with his hand, "Could I...stay with you tonight? Just, I want to make sure you're okay. It can't be healthy to have so many scars and nothing to show for it."_

_"...You can try." Alex murmured cryptically, "I don't expect you to last a night, but you can try."_

* * *

Alex was his friend, his lover, could be as kind as could be, and yet was as cold-blooded as the people he fought but didn't see it. If there was such a thing as irony, Doyle saw it every day in Alex. He looked up from his thoughts when the blond entered the room, now dressed in a hodgepodge of Doyle's shirt and Drew's pants with his own shoes. Alex always had to tie a part of the shirt, though, to help it fit him and Doyle wondered why the blond didn't go raid Zak for shirts since they seemed like they would fit Alex better.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Doyle stood from the bed.

"What about your gloves?" Alex pointed. Doyle had no need to look down, knowing they were covered in blood despite using his shirt to soak it all up.

"...It's about time I show some secrets as well, don't you think?" The redhead took off his gloves, exposing the red bands on his wrists.

"You sure?" Alex raised an eyebrow, "Zak may have seen them, but there's no telling what Drew will think."

"They know you're a spy, they know you get injured, Doc knows I treated you. If they want to trust us,  _both_  of us, then we'll need to give out our secrets as well."

"Not all at once, that would overwhelm them."

"No. And after this, tell me more about Scorpia. They're the ones that kidnapped you, aren't they?"

"They're also the ones who gave me most of my scars."

"Including your-?" Doyle growled at the new information. So they had been the ones to hurt Alex time and time again. He had never given a name to the scars until now, but Doyle could now name them Scorpia. They had not only caused the scars on Alex's body but also his mind and the redhead wouldn't stand for it.

"Including my bullet scar, yes." Alex touched the spot on his chest, "And Doyle, remember that I still haven't told you everything. You know my parents and uncle were involved, as well as my godfather, but you don't know everything."

"I know enough to wish you didn't have to go through any of it." Doyle took his ex's hand, "Let's go see them." Alex nodded and they walked together to the living room.

"And after this," Doyle quietly continued, "tell me everything you can. I want to know about Scorpia, I want to know what's happened to you since we separated, I want to know what happened to the man I love so I can scold and hug you for everything."

"I will." Alex tightened his grip slightly before relaxing, "I promise."

* * *

"Did you see it too?" Doc asked as he and Drew watched Francis and Epsilon leave. Francis wasn't holding his father's hand anymore, but the Saturdays were talking about something else entirely.

"When Alex appeared, you mean?" Drew added, "Francis' fright?"

"Exactly." Doc nodded, "There are still things we don't know about Alex, and it looks like Epsilon has a bone to pick with him."

"But whatever it is, it can wait. I don't want to get involved in any spy feuds right now." Drew said, "All I want to do right now is make sure my baby boy went and got his bath."

"With how dusty he is, I'm sure he did." Doc assured her, though he doubted Zak had done it. Hearing a door open, they turned to see Alex and Doyle come in. Alex was as indifferent as usual while Doyle looked nervous and his hands were behind his back, acting like he had been caught doing something he shouldn't. Drew knew the pose after seeing it so much on Zak and Fisk, so she crossed her arms.

"What have you done this time?" she groaned.

"I haven't done anything!" Doyle protested, but kept his hands behind him. Doc noticed that he was wearing a different shirt than earlier, which piqued his curiosity.

"Why did you change your shirt? Did you get bored with the old one?"

"Not exactly..." Alex jabbed him in the side and gave him a look. Doyle sighed with some finality, which the Saturdays didn't understand until he brought out his hands. There was nothing wrong with them, but the wrists were a different story, red and scarred as if the ex-mercenary had cut them over and over again. Both Drew's and Doc's eyes widened while the woman gasped, shocked. It suddenly occurred to her that she had never seen Doyle's hands out of his gloves for years, since they had been separated, until now.

"Handcuff scars." Doyle muttered, running his thumb over the bands on his right wrist, "Alex has been sharing secrets, so I thought about sharing some of my own."

"That, and there's something else we have to discuss." Alex added, "The Mondays have made a move." Drew and Doc forcefully took their eyes away from Doyle's scars. The Mondays were more of a threat than old scars were, no matter how alarming the scars were.

"How?" Doc asked, "What did they do?"

"This." Doyle lifted his shirt to reveal the bandages, "A few minutes ago, I suddenly got a big but shallow cut in my side." he put his shirt down, "Because it came out of nowhere and the Mondays have our rings, I think they've got a magical item that hurt me."

"With what you described, it's completely possible." Drew muttered, thinking, "I think I've heard of something like this before, but I'll have to look through my scrolls again."

"And you're sure it came out of nowhere?" Doc continued.

"There was no cut to my shirt and I started bleeding pretty badly. If that doesn't say 'magic,' then I don't know what does." Doyle gave Alex a smile, "Thanks again." Alex smiled back.

"No problem."

"I'm going to start looking at my scrolls." Drew gave both Alex and Doyle angry looks, "I want to know everything about the handcuffs later." She then left the room and the two ex-lovers knew there was no way to hide from her wrath.

"I'm going to see if there's a way to get to the mirror so we can go after the Mondays." spoke Doc, "And please, stay out of trouble."

"What trouble?" Alex asked, though there was a smirk to his face. Doc shook his head and left the room as well, leaving them alone.

"That went well." the blond commented dryly.

"Drew's going to slaughter me." Doyle ran a hand through his hair.

"Slaughter  _us_. She probably thinks I have something to do with it, since I didn't react." Alex frowned, "I think she hates me."

"Hates you?" Doyle raised an eyebrow, "Where did you get that from?"

"Threats to skin me if I wrong you, suspicious glances, cameras that follow my every move... Need I go on?"

"Come on, she doesn't hate you! She's just a bit overprotective."

"Uh huh..." Alex wasn't convinced. It took a lot to get his trust, after all.

"Look, I'll try to get her to talk to you when we have some time so you can sort out your differences."

"I'm not going to an intervention organized by you." Alex deadpanned.

"Alex-"

"NO."

"It's not that bad! I'm a great planner."

"Leeroy Jenkins."

"It's called  _improvising_."

"No matter what you call it, it's still suicidal and dumb."

"I plan!"

"Not very well, apparently." Doyle gave a frustrated sigh at Alex's antics. The blond was running circles around him without even trying, it felt like.

* * *

"Interesting, but still not enough." Drew mused while looking into a store mirror. On the other side she and the Mondays could see Doyle and Alex, where they had also seen what had happened with the Saturdays.

"Then what do you propose?" Komodo asked, eyebrow raised. He hated following orders from this woman, but after the beating she and the others had put him and Zak through, he wasn't about to go against them anytime soon.

"If we put this thing in acid or another chemical," the albino woman held up the sapphire, "do you think it'll make Doyle sick?"

"Worth a shot." Fisk smirked, "Why not do the same to the other rock?"

"I want to save it for later, to bring down that spy at just the right time." Drew fingered the blue jewel, "Maybe the acid will eat through this thing too and put the redhead out of commission for good. Two birds with one stone, literally."

"We'll see. Being magical, it might have some resistance to such a thing." Komodo muttered, "Let's go back to the ship. There should be some acid congealing in the disposal compartment..."

* * *

**Cryptid Translator: ON**

After finding his siblings and explaining what he had heard, Zak wasn't surprised to see their skepticism. It was far-fetched and hard to believe, he knew that, but he had hoped that they would take him at his word. He could understand them and knew them better than anyone else, after all.

"I don't know." Komodo hissed, "I don't like the guy or the Gray Men, but why would Alex threaten Francis?"

"Well, I believe Zak." Zon spoke, checking a wing, "Alex somehow got past the defenses  _twice_ , the second time severely injured. He has the power to threaten them, but I don't understand the motive."

"I agree with what Alex said about them being the best." Fisk added, "He said that Epsilon would have done the same if the roles were reversed and that there was always someone better, so Alex could be doing this to control the Gray Men."

"But why by himself?" Zak put in, still extremely dusty, "Why doesn't he let MI6 do it? Isn't that what they do?"

"Yeah, but he doesn't have to trust them." Komodo scoffed, "Why do you think Doyle is so bitter when they're brought up? He knows they're the cause of Alex's pain most of the time and hates them for hurting the person he loves. If you and Wadi were in their shoes and Wadi was hurt by them, you would feel the same." Zak was surprised at how his eldest sibling spoke. Komodo was an adult when he joined the Saturday family, so it was possible he had gone through having someone to love before. Zak frowned as he wondered if he had taken Komodo away from his special other, but didn't dwell on it. They didn't have time for that right now.

"That still doesn't tell us why Alex is going out on his own to control an entire organization." Zon said, "If you ask me, I think it all centers on Francis being a clone." The three were Zak's main confiders, so whatever he knew, they usually did too.

"Only one of many possible reasons." Fisk pointed out, "What proof do we have to back this up?"

"The mention of someone named Julius and how Alex knows about clones as well." Zak listed the information he had heard, "If we knew the last name of this Julius guy, then maybe we could do some good research."

"If Alex knew him, then he must be in the MI6 database." added Zon, "If we could hack our way in, like Francis did, then maybe we could learn more."

"That gives me an idea!" Zak's eyes lit up, "I'm going to need some help to pull it off, though. You guys with me?"

"Of course." They all nodded, just as curious about what was going on.

"Okay, here's the deal: I'm going to contact Wadi and Ulraj to meet me somewhere and message Francis. Once we've got a time and place, you guys are going to need to distract Mom and Dad. I hope we won't need any more than an hour, but you'll all need to keep it up until we're done."

"Alright, but be careful." Fisk sighed, knowing how much trouble Zak could get into.

"Will do!" Zak saluted him with a grin, causing Zon to trill in laughter.

"Go get your bath, kid." Komodo nudged him along, "Your mom's gonna freak if she sees you're still like this."

"I get it, I get it!" Zak then left the room.

"We're not just going to be the distractions, are we?" Zon asked.

"Nope." Komodo turned to her, "Like with what happened before, you need to go out and find a trail that could lead us either to the Gray Men or Julius. I don't want to go into this while the humans know everything, and I doubt you want to."

"On it." Spreading her wings, Zon flew out a window. Neither of the remaining cryptids expected her to be back anytime soon.

"...How are you holding up?" Fisk asked quietly.

"Going surprisingly strong." Komodo chuckled, "I never expected to live as long as I have. I'm what, 25 now? I'm past my prime and only got a few years left. I'll miss the kid, but nature has to go its course. What about you? How long do Fiskerton Phantoms live?" Fisk shrugged.

"Who knows? Certainly longer than Komodo Dragons, I expect." Fisk's face fell, "I'm going to miss you when you leave."

"Yeah, but who won't?" Komodo paced the room, "I've lived a long life, and in lizard years, I'm the oldest one out of the family. Drew and Doc probably know hold old I am, they know I'm going to have to go soon, but who's going to tell Zak about me when I die?" the giant lizard sighed, "I was his first brother, his first cryptid friend. He's not going to take it well at all. Argost was a bad guy, Van Rook was sort of one too. Zak didn't really grieve for them not because he didn't  _like_  them but because he didn't  _know_  them. He knows me, he loves me, so when I leave..." Komodo shook his head and turned to Fisk, "Try to keep him entertained, will you? Zon's a good girl, but she can't replace me."

"No one could." Fisk crouched to rub the dragon's head, "No one could ever replace a friend like you."

"I hope not." Komodo smiled, "I don't want to start haunting you if you forget about me or replace me with some other giant lizard." The two cryptids then changed the subject away from death, but it still weighed heavy on their minds.

**Cryptid Translator: OFF**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The Cryptid Translator is used for lengthy conversations such as this that includes cryptids as a majority. Unless the dialogue meets those requirements, then it won't be used.
> 
> 2\. Komodo Dragons mature at 8 to 9 years and live to around 30. If my calculations are correct, Komodo had to be mature by the time he joined the Saturdays and since around 10 years have passed since then, Komodo has to be in his 20s by now. However, I think that the experimentation done on him to cause his invisible abilities extended his lifespan far beyond that of a normal Komodo Dragon, so don't worry about him dying anytime soon.
> 
> 3\. Since no one else can understand them, I imagine Komodo, Fisk, and Zon to be like Zak's best friends, where he tells them everything and they don't share it with anyone else. Not like they can, though, with is both helpful and harmful (except for Fisk, who can somewhat get his point across to normal people).


	14. Nightmares and Sickness (That Are Cause By Magic And Madness)

_It had been only a few nights since they had started sharing a bed, but Doyle felt something was waking him up. Glancing around sleepily, he noted that it was 1:22, the middle of the night. What was causing him to be up at this hour? Then he was harshly jabbed in the back and nearly sent off the bed, only staying on it because he managed to prevent himself from rolling over fully. This had him wide awake and angrily looking towards the source of the jab, only to soften when he saw Alex. And he didn't soften just because he saw the Brit, no, Doyle had softened because of what Alex was doing. The blond was practically curled into a ball, eyes shut tight as whimpers occasionally escaped his mouth. The guy was having a nightmare and had probably jabbed Doyle accidentally. It would be best to wake him up before things got worse, or that's what Doyle thought. The redhead sat up and gently took hold of Alex's shoulder to start waking him._

_"Hey, Al-" He had barely pushed Alex's shoulder before things quickly spun out-of-control. The blond was suddenly wide-eyed and, with a strength that Doyle hadn't seen before, managed to pin the bigger man underneath him. Both of Alex's hands were clutching Doyle's neck, as if ready to snap it. Seeing the unbridled fear and anger in Alex's clouded, sleepy eyes, Doyle didn't doubt that. The redhead's eyes were equally wide with a similar fear as his breath caught in his throat, not daring to move or make a sound lest he set Alex off again. He waited as Alex panted and calmed down, the cloudy sheen of sleep leaving the blond's eyes slowly until they were clear again. And when they were, they filled with a different kind of fear as he let go of Doyle and leapt off the bed._

_"Wait!" Alex was already out of the room as Doyle got up and went after him. He could take an easy guess at why the other had ran. There was a click from another door, the one that had been Doyle's old bedroom, but when the redhead tried to open it, he found it locked._

_"Alex!" he called, "Let me in!" When he got no response, Doyle growled and slammed his shoulder against the door. It shook under his sudden assault, but held firm._

_"Alex, it's okay." Doyle tried talking to the spy again, ignoring his sore shoulder, "You were just having a nightmare."_

_"I could have killed you..." came Alex's soft voice, ridden with something else, something Doyle couldn't place but made him worry._

_"You could have, but you didn't. We both stilled long enough for you to come back to your senses. I'm fine, you didn't hurt me. That's all that matters."_

_"Just leave me alone..." It sounded more like a whimper than a command, and though he knew he should just let Alex recover on his own, Doyle also knew he had to comfort Alex. He didn't know why he felt he should, maybe it was because he felt empathy for the other man because he had once been through similar circumstances, but Doyle couldn't leave Alex alone. He may not have had guilt for nearly hurting someone after a nightmare, but he knew how terrifying they could be._

_"No. If you won't let me in, I'm coming in there." Doyle tried ramming the door a few more times, but when it still didn't budge, he decided to try a different tactic that would probably make Alex yell at him later for being stupid. Grabbing his micro-adhesive gloves and boots, he put them on and headed to a window. He swallowed as he gazed outside, at the sheer drop that could easily kill him if this didn't work; Alex would most certainly kill him once the blond found out about what the redhead was doing. But he knew he had to help Alex, so Doyle pushed down his fear, opened the window, and climbed outside._

_He shivered as the cold air hit his skin and thin bedtime clothes, but pressed on. He tried not to think about what lay below him as he placed his hands on the wall, getting ready to do something very stupid and probably suicidal. He then pushed off, almost as if he was jumping, but the adhesive held firm and kept him to the wall. Breathing a shaky sigh of relief, Doyle crawled along the wall like Spiderman to reach the other window, the one he knew led to his old room. He soon found himself outside the window and quickly opened it, as it had been unlocked, and crawled inside. As he closed the window, he glanced around the room and saw Alex curled up on the bed and facing away, much like the blond had been while in the grips of the nightmare. Alex looked back at Doyle, unsurprised, and the redhead could see the other's red-rimmed eyes. Alex had been crying, possibly sobbing, and it hurt Doyle to see him like that._

_"So they worked, huh?" the spy said quietly, voice rough, "Now that you know your gloves and boots work, you can leave me alone."_

_"I told you, no." Doyle took slow, measured steps towards Alex, trying not to spook the Brit, "Why did you run? Nothing bad happened."_

_"Bad things could have happened." Alex's voice turned from soft to cold and sharp, "I could have killed you, Doyle, and I wouldn't have realized it until it was too late."_

_"But you_ didn't _." the redhead pressed, emphasizing the last word to get his point across._

_"Leave me alone." Alex turned his head away. Doyle sat beside him on the bed, on the side where Alex's back was facing him._

_"Tell me what upset you. Is it just because you nearly killed me or something else?" he asked, "Because I'm not afraid of you, Alex. It was an accident, something you didn't have control over. I'm not saying I know what it's like to nearly kill someone in your sleep, because I know I don't, but I'm saying that this must have come out of something. All the things you went through as a spy have changed you and probably created this defense mechanism, so I don't blame you for what you did. Your body, your instincts, they were just protecting themselves. You had no control over it and didn't realize what you were doing because you were still asleep. You could have killed me, but I'm not a weakling. If I had felt otherwise, I could have injured you before you had a chance to snap my neck. But I didn't, I felt that I needed to be still, and I was right. I got you awake from your nightmare, even though it was almost at the cost of my life. And you know what? I'm fine with that. I know nightmares can be horrible, I used to have them a lot when I was little." Doyle grew saddened as he remembered the faint memories of his parents and sister, "Just know that you're not alone, Alex, and that I'm not defenseless. If you want to sleep alone from now on, that's fine. But just know that I'll keep waking you up from nightmares and putting myself in danger because I can't let you continue to sleep like that. Got it?"_

_"..." Alex was quiet, but Doyle felt a hand slide around to hold his and smiled._

_"In the morning, I want you to teach me how to fight properly." the redhead continued, "You know tons of martial arts, so if I ever get in trouble and my way of fighting doesn't work, I'll need another way to protect myself. Even if it's while I wake you."_

_"...Fine." Alex didn't sound so sad or cold anymore, just what Doyle had been aiming for._

* * *

_It was morning now and things had switched around. Alex was tucking a sleeping Doyle into bed, as the redhead had stayed awake for the rest of the night watching over the blond and Alex now wanted to return the favor._

_Doyle had been right, in a way. Though he didn't mention it or possibly even think of it, Alex couldn't keep hiding away his demons forever, he couldn't keep running. Especially not if Doyle was going to keep waking him up whenever he had a nightmare. And those nightmares usually popped up if he had been having a bad day or reliving memories before pressing down the feelings. He was human, after all, and spies had their limits, even broken ones like himself. His body needed an outlet for the emotions he kept locked away, so they came out while he was sleeping, at his most vulnerable and lethal point._

_Alex found his face hovering a foot above Doyle's after tucking the sheets around the sleeping redhead, who was practically dead to the world at this point. And, while he was asleep, the bigger man looked younger, the hard lines on his face gone. Doyle had been roped into this thing, this mission, against his will, just like Alex, though Doyle had had a harder life. Alex didn't want to make it any harder on the other man, so he knew he had to train himself to trust Doyle so he wouldn't hurt the redhead, both awake and asleep. It may have been a fatal choice if Doyle was planning to kill Alex or something, but the blond found he didn't care._

_Days before, when they had gone to the pool party, Alex found that he liked how Doyle looked in just shorts, a t-shirt, and a towel. But when the redhead fell into the pool, the physical attraction was washed away as he watched Doyle sputter around for a minute in terror before climbing out of the pool, shaking himself like a dog, and running away from the water like an indignant cat. Alex had fallen for Doyle's personality at that point, finding that he liked the secret goofiness of a man who had seen too much (but not as much as Alex) and that kindness and loyalty were not rarities with Doyle, once you got to know him. Alex liked that a lot, maybe more than he was like to admit to himself. Smiling at the memory, Alex leaned closer until he was only a few inches away._

_"Sweet dreams, Strawberry." he whispered before pulling away and leaving the room._

* * *

When Doyle woke up that night, he felt hot and a bit sick. Not enough to confine him to bed, but enough to make him think twice about sitting up too fast. However, as he felt the bed shift slightly, he looked over to see Alex tossing and turning, a frown etched deep into his face.

 _Another nightmare._  Doyle thought, then wondered if Alex had had nightmares before while at the Saturday house and Doyle hadn't noticed, but put the thought away as he focused on waking Alex up. And, feeling sick like he was with Alex moving around, this wasn't going to be easy. Not like it ever was, but he could tell this was one of the worse nights. Slowly getting out of bed, Doyle knew he needed to plan this just right so he wouldn't get kicked. That had happened several times, once in the crotch, and it hadn't felt good for a long time afterword. Planning was imperative if he wanted to get Alex awake without getting hurt (and in this case, throwing up).

Staying quiet, he walked to the other side of the bed and raised his hands, getting them ready. Once he was sure Alex had hit a lull in the nightmare, he pounced. He had planned to grab Alex's forearms and pin them above the blond's head, against the headboard, with his own legs safely tucked between Alex's so he wouldn't get kicked (unless Alex brought his leg back far enough, which would be painful in the position they would be in). Most of that had worked, except he hadn't managed to grab Alex's left forearm. The blond's eyes snapped open at first contact and he grabbed Doyle's free wrist (his right one), pulling it foreward with a sudden strong jerk that made an awful popping sound and white-hot pain flash through the wrist. Doyle hissed and pinned Alex's free forearm above their heads with Doyle's own forearm, the bigger man ignoring the pain that screamed through his body as he tried to help his ex-lover. Alex struggled, hitting the redhead in the back with his knees, but Doyle held firm until Alex calmed down. The Brit was panting, eyes wide as he looked around the room.

"Doyle." he gasped, "Oh god, don't tell me..." Slowly, the ex-mercenary let him go and cradled his arm.

"It's not that bad." Doyle sighed, "I'm probably going to have bruises in my back and I have a dislocated wrist, but except for that, everything's fine."

"F*ck." Alex put his hands to his face and he was shaking, "I hurt you again. I hurt you. Oh god, I'm a horrible person-"

"Knock it off." Doyle wasn't about to let Alex slip into a guilt-induced depression, not now. He had delt with that at least twice and both times he had found Alex harming himself for what he had done to Doyle. No, the redhead wasn't going to let that happen again. Briefly he wondered if had happened after they separated, but he didn't want to think about it now.

"Listen," he wrapped his able arm around Alex's form and pulled the spy into a sitting position, "it's okay now. Whatever you saw wasn't real and I'm okay. Don't fall into depression on me, not again, please. You are a wonderful person and if you think otherwise, then I will make you spend a day alone with Zak to make you happy again." Doyle coughed into his arm, the feeling of his sickness hitting him again, "Got it?"

"Y-yeah." Alex slowly took his hands away from his face and held Doyle's arm, away from the dislocated wrist, "You're sure it's dislocated?"

"You pulled it forward and there was a popping sound. I'm pretty sure it's dislocated." Doyle tried to move a finger on his hand, but stopped when he felt pain shoot through his arm, "Can't even move a finger."

"Alright. Let's go to Medical Bay, I can treat you there."

"No, you can stay here and get some sleep." Doyle got away Alex, "I've dealt with a dislocated wrist before. Besides, you need sleep, I know how much you get." Alex gazed at him sadly.

"...Stay for a while?"

"Of course." The redhead held his arm and wrist against his body as he laid beside Alex again on the other side of the bed. He watched, listened, and felt as Alex grabbed his non-injured arm and slowly went back to sleep, this time more peaceful. Extracting himself from the other's grip while trying not to wake Alex and not hurt himself, Doyle was able to do it easily and quietly before leaving the room. Much to his surprise, he found his sister just outside the door.

"I heard something and came to check on you." she spoke, "Is everything alright?"

"...Mind heading to Medical with me?" He closed the door before heading off, not waiting for an answer.

"What happened?" Drew now had a worried tone in her voice, keeping an eye on how her brother held his arm against his chest, as if he was hurt.

"Nothing unusual, just need to set my wrist and see if anything got torn."

"What?!" Even though she kept her voice low, it was obvious Drew was shocked and angry.

"Don't be mad at Alex, it's not his fault." Doyle gave her a stern look.

"He sprained your wrist!"

"Dislocated it, actually."

"That's worse!"

"I told you, he didn't mean it."

"Then how did you get hurt?" she crossed her arms as they walked, unconvinced, "Did you just fall off the bed and dislocate it or something?"

"Look, it's a long story and I'm not in the mood to tell it." He stopped when Drew moved in front of him, glaring.

"You are going to tell me right now why you're defending Alex if he dislocated your wrist. I know you two were once in love, but that gives you no right to defend him for something like this." Doyle met her glare tiredly and sighed.

"He has nightmares, Drew, horrible ones that I can't even begin to imagine that come from what he's gone through. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night to find him in a nightmare and I wake him up." Doyle held up his wrist, ignoring the pain, "You see this? This is  _nothing_  compared to what Alex has done to me before in a fear- and sleep-induced haze. He's nearly killed me several times and the worst was he managed to break my arm once, but I always kept trying to help him because it was both the right thing to do and  _I loved him_." The younger narrowed his eyes, "Alex said that you didn't like him and he got the feeling that you hated him. I know this may hurt your feelings, but through all of this, I'll be on Alex's side until you convince me that you don't. I'm mentioning this now because I'm getting the feeling you don't like him. Either that or you're being overprotective."

"..." Drew wasn't sure what to say, but gently grabbed his unhurt arm, "...Let's get you treated, Doyle." He calmed and nodded, allowing her to lead the way, as he now felt worse after his outburst. What was wrong with him? He had felt fine earlier, when he and Alex had been bantering about his 'improvising tactics' (which had nothing to do with being a Leeroy Jenkins, mind you, no matter what Alex said) and Zak had to be chased down for his bath (he had continued to shout "NEVER!" as Doyle and Alex chased him through the house). He had felt fine at dinner (Zon hadn't come by to eat, but that wasn't unusual because she sometimes went out and hunted for herself) and when they had gone to bed, so maybe it had been food poisoning? But he didn't think that was it, his instincts told him otherwise. And throughout his life, he had learned to trust his instincts, so he wasn't about to turn away from them this time.

"While you're at it," he groaned and held his head, feeling a headache coming on, "check to see if I'm sick, because I certainly feel like it."

* * *

"Nothing. There's no virus at all, but you've definitely got a temperature and you're sweating like a pig."

"Thanks for the compliments." Doyle muttered as he sat on the medical bed. His right wrist was wrapped in a splint, as not much had been torn (surprising, as most dislocations of the wrist offered a lot more pain and torn things) and Drew had been able to set it. It was good enough to heal in a few days at the least, given the right treatment, but the dislocation was not on their minds right now.

"Don't forget the pounding headache." he added, rubbing his temples one-handed and trying to calm the raging pain in his head.

"Noted." Drew muttered, but besides her brother being sick suddenly, her mind was on their conversation. She hadn't meant to come off as being mean or hating Alex, she had only wanted to protect her little brother. She knew that she was a bit overprotective of Doyle and her boys, but did that make her look like she hated Alex when she actually didn't? If so, she now felt incredibly saddened and wished to make it up to the blond man.

"Do you think this could be the work of the Mondays?" Doyle suddenly asked, "Because that's just the feeling I get, and I don't like it."

"Well, do you feel really bad on the inside at all? You've got a few symptoms of food poisoning."

"No, just like I'll throw up. And I'm pretty sure it isn't that, because I would know." Doyle grimaced, "I've had food poisoning before."

"When?"

"I'd rather not talk about it." The redhead slowly laid back on the bed, trying not to upset his stomach, "But I just get this feeling that the Mondays have something to do with it."

"It's a bit late to go after them right now, though." Drew sighed, "Stay here and get some rest, okay? I'll see what I can do in the morning. For now, take some tylenol for the fever. You feel like you can take it, right?"

"Yeah." Doyle muttered, "It'd be better if you handed me some water to take with it."

"Already on it." Drew walked around the room, grabbing the bottle of medicine and a glass, which she filled with water at the sink in the room. She also grabbed a blanket as she went to her brother, who looked dead tired.

"Here." she handed him the glass and two pills, "Get well soon, little brother."

"I'll try." he muttered quietly, struggling to sit up enough to take the medicine. Drew took the glass and put it on the table once he was finished and after he had laid down again, she tucked the blanket around him. She gave a small kiss to the side of his head in hopes that he would feel better in the morning before she left, turning out the lights, but another thing was bothering her. Doyle had said that he thought the Mondays were behind him being sick, but that was impossible. At least, by normal terms. And if this was what she thought it was, then they were in big trouble, especially Doyle. They needed to get the mirror and to the Dark Matter World ASAP, otherwise worse things than being sick were going to happen.


	15. Why Hurt Yourself When Someone Loves You? (Like I Do)

When she got up (which was almost always before her husband), Drew immediately went to check on her brother and found Alex (fully dressed for the day) in the Medical Bay with Doyle. The blond had taken a chair and scooted it to Doyle's bedside, a wet cloth in his hands as he dabbed Doyle's forehead.

"Somehow, I'm not surprised." Drew muttered softly, then spoke up, "You're awake early."

"Don't get much sleep anyways, thought I might as well check on him." Alex didn't even give her a glance, "He's got a high fever. What was it last night?"

"About 101, 102. Have you checked recently?" Alex nodded.

"It got a lot worse. Was 107 when I checked." Drew frowned.

"But I gave him tylenol last night to help keep the fever down. Didn't it work?"

"Apparently not." Alex went the cloth again to get it cold once more, "Any idea what's going on?"

"I did a test last night for any viruses or bacteria, but I came up with nothing. Doyle thought the Mondays have something to do with it, even though it's normally impossible."

"Normally?" Alex finally looked up at her, "What do you mean by that?"

"Have you ever heard of soulstones?"

"No. Do they have something to do with this?"

"Maybe. I need to double-check with my books and scrolls, but I'm almost certain they have everything to do with Doyle being sick and getting hurt yesterday." Drew paused after she had turned around, "Need anything?"

"No." Alex then went back to ignoring her, focusing on Doyle and watching the man sleep. Drew knew that her brother should be waking up now, even if he was sick, which made her worry, but she pushed the thoughts away. She knew the only way they could help him was if they found the Mondays and she also needed to make sure it was soulstones they were dealing with because magic was a very finicky thing.

She wasn't gone long and when she returned, she found Alex looking more relaxed, showing worry on his face for the first time to Drew. She walked over, closer to him, and watched as he rubbed Doyle's forehead with the now-wet cloth again, hoping to take away more of the fever.

"I've never seen him like this." the blond admitted slowly, softly, "He never got sick when we were together, and I hate this. I hope he gets better soon."

"I'm sure he will." Drew assured, patting his shoulder, "My brother has to be strong if he managed to survive for so long, right?" Alex nodded, but didn't look that convinced.

"Have you found out anything on the soulstones?" She nodded back with a frown, mentally going back through what she had learned in her visit to her library.

"Yes, and it isn't good. From what I managed to find, it seems that something that belongs to a person and means a lot to them is the key to the stone, such as the rings the Mondays stole. It's needed to make the stone so it can correctly bond with whoever the special item is from. And it seems scratches to the stone could cause wounds to appear on the body of the person bonded to the stone, like how Doyle suddenly got that huge cut in his side yesterday. I'm not quite sure what would happen if the stone got cracked, but if it was smashed completely, one of two things can happen." Drew held up two fingers, "One, he might be completely fine and free of the curse. Two, he could die."

"Then for the cracks, maybe he loses a limb or gets hurt on the inside."

"Don't say that!" Drew really didn't want to think about it, "Are you  _trying_ to scare yourself?!"

"Just thinking up what might happen." Alex muttered, looking darker than before, "I have to be prepared, don't I?"

"Think positive. If you think positive, everything will be okay."

"Really?" A dark look spread over Alex's face, "When I first started out as a spy, I always tried to think positive. But I stopped when I figured out that it didn't do anything." he stood, "Thinking positive never helped me, so why should I try again?" He then left the room without another word, dropping the wet cloth into the bowl he had set out for the purpose. Drew sighed, but didn't go after him and took his place in the chair.

"You'll be okay." she whispered to her brother as she took the cloth away to get it wet and cold again, "Alex might not believe in positive thinking, but he hopes you'll be okay too." Doyle, of course, didn't respond except to frown in his sleep. Drew wondered how her brother could have gotten so sick so quickly because of the soulstones, since it seemed like they only caused injuries, but she found that she didn't doubt his instincts. Though they hadn't always been right (she knew putting the Kur Detector back together without anyone knowing was prime example of that, though Doyle would probably argue otherwise), she just got the feeling his instincts were right this time. The soulstones could be the only explanation, though she didn't know how it made him sick, and she needed to figure out a way to sever the bond between Doyle and his stone.

It was a lot to think about, but she didn't care. She had wanted her brother to be happy and their last major conversation hadn't ended well. If Doyle got so sick he passed away, she didn't want the last thing he remembered to be him being mad at her because she was being overprotective. She also realized she needed to not only apologize to Doyle, but she needed to get Alex's forgiveness. If Alex forgave her, then Doyle might as well, seeing as the way she treated the blond was what caused Doyle to be a bit angry at her in the first place. Her brother had mentioned nightmares, so maybe she could find a way to keep them out of Alex's head. Turning to check her brother's set wrist and making sure it was still in place, Drew closed her eyes briefly and sighed.

"I'm so sorry, Doyle." she murmured, "This is all my fault."

* * *

Alex hadn't actually gone to sleep last night, he had faked it well enough to fool Doyle and had stayed up the rest of the night with no more sleep. How could he forgive himself for hurting his ex-fiance? No matter what Doyle had said, it was his fault. He had hurt Doyle intentionally, even if he was asleep, and he couldn't just forgive himself for something like that, no matter what the redhead said.

As he walked back to his room, Alex glanced sadly at the sleeve on his arm. He hadn't given Doyle the whole truth about his new scars. Yes, he did get hurt on missions and got new scars, but not all of them came from missions. Some of them came from himself and Doyle knew that. Doyle had kept him from going too far twice, helping build himself back up, except when they had separated. Alex had fallen hard, far, and fast without Doyle, but Ben had kept him safe. MI6 wouldn't have cared if they lost their best spy, they would just find a replacement. Alex doubted Mrs. Jones would have cared, because she wasn't his mother (though she acted like it sometimes).

The spy briefly contemplated leaving so Doyle would be okay, so he wouldn't have to deal with all the luck that followed Alex again, all the hurt and sorrow, but the blond knew he couldn't do it. It had been hard enough going on that single mission after seeing Doyle again, Alex couldn't leave the ex-mercenary in the state Doyle was in. If he did, it would be callous and uncaring, Alex wasn't like that to Doyle. It a way, the redhead had become Alex's morality pet, the one that kept him from going too far and Alex would never do anything to hurt him. But the second half of that promise, Alex had broken it so many times now it wasn't funny and had never been in the first place. He had hurt Doyle both physically and emotionally, so he should leave before he makes things worse. But he couldn't, because what if Doyle  _died_  while he was away? Alex wouldn't be able to stand losing his ex-lover again, especially forever while he wasn't there, so he had to stay.

After entering his room, Alex went to his side of the mattress and lifted it up, grabbing the two things that were underneath: his Mamba pistol and a switchblade. The Mamba pistol was custom made for him and he had gotten it shortly after he had officially joined MI6 (more like they made him) at 18, and the switchblade had been a gift from K-Unit when he had been sent to give them his own version of 'training from h*ll.' He had also met their new member, Jackal, who had picked a rivalry with Wolf. The new guy also didn't think too much of Alex until the blond had beaten him three times in close combat, also impressing the rest of the unit, and after all was said and done (with the four men cursing him out while they rested their aching bodies), they had gone out and bought the knife for him.

Alex smiled slightly at the memory before it was quickly dropped and he gained his emotionless face again, tucking the gun into his jacket holster and the knife into his pocket. He then left the room and headed back to the Medical Bay, determined to keep an eye on Doyle. However, he hoped Doyle wouldn't see what was happening to him, that he was falling back into old, bad habits that included cutting himself and nearly overdosing on drugs that helped numb the pain and all his feeling.

 _He'd hate me for this._  Alex closed his eyes and let a tear run down his cheek,  _He'd send me away if he knew what I was doing, he'd want me to get help like last time. But he doesn't really understand why I'm doing this for him. I'm punishing myself for what I've done, but he won't like it. He never will, and I'm sorry he has to see me so low._

* * *

"Drew?" His throat was as dry as a desert, but he knew he had to speak. He felt horrible, having to fight through the fever and the darkness that dragged him down, but he  _had_ to tell her. She had to know what to do, and he knew it was his sister beside him because Alex would never be so close without permission.

"Don't talk, let me get you something to drink."

"Wait." Doyle tried to open his eyes but winced at the brightness of the room. Drew ignored his plea and got him a glass, holding it up to his lips so he could drink. He took a few sips, seeing as he couldn't sit up, he was much too tired to do it. And he felt like he was in pain, like he wanted to throw up everything in his stomach and more.

"I'm glad you're awake." she gave a sigh of relief, "How do you feel?"

"Bad, but Drew," he met her eyes, "have you seen Alex?" Drew blinked at his question.

"Yeah, he came to see you. Why-"

"Keep a close eye on him." Doyle coughed a bit and it made him feel worse, but he kept going, "He doesn't just have nightmares. Make sure he doesn't hurt himself."

"What do you mean?" Drew frowned and worry began to invade her mind again, "Why would he hurt himself?"

"Depression. He'll want to hurt himself after hurting me." Doyle resisted the urge to shake his head, as he already had a headache and didn't need to make it worse, "He hates himself when he gets like this, after he hurts me. Don't let him go too far, because he  _will_."

"...I'll do my best." Drew wasn't sure now if Doyle was actually telling her something important or being delirious because of his high fever, but she was pretty sure it was the former. Her brother's eyes were clear and pleading and she didn't know how long he would continue to stay awake, so all she could do was nod.

"Thank you." he gave her a small smile, "Give him something to do to keep his mind off of it, check his arms and legs to make sure he's not doing anything. I don't want to see him fall again." He began to close his eyes, they felt so heavy and it took a lot of effort to make sure his sister would look after Alex. He couldn't let Alex hurt himself again, not after so long.

"Wait." she placed a hand on his cheek, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" He left his eyes half-lidded, but he was listening.

"For hurting Alex. I didn't mean to intimidate him, but I only wanted you to be safe." she tried to smile, but it was hard, knowing that Doyle wasn't in the best of shape, "I lost you once and I guess, deep inside me, I didn't want to lose you again. That was why I was pushing Alex away, so he wouldn't take you from me. You're my little brother and I wouldn't be able to stand not having you in my life again. It was only a few years ago we finally got to be together again, having you go off with someone else so soon...I guess I was afraid to face that. And I'm sorry for it all."

"It's alright, I understand." Doyle raised a shaky hand to touch the one on his face, "But I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." The redhead shut his eyes, "Say sorry to Alex while you watch over him. That'll make me feel better." And then his grip slackened and though she knew he was just falling asleep, Drew felt like she had just watched her brother die and it sent chills through her.

"I will. And I'm not letting you die on me. I'm not losing you again." she promised quietly, then stood to go look for Alex. Just as she did so the door opened and her target walked in, head down.

"Anything happen while I was gone?" he asked. Drew was tempted to tell him, but she wasn't sure. Alex wouldn't want her watching over him if she knew what he was doing, but she just couldn't tell him Doyle hadn't been awake. That wouldn't be fair to Alex, but would he feel disappointed if she told him of Doyle being awake?

"Doyle just woke up for a short time." she decided to go for the half-truth, "He wasn't talking sane, though. I think he was delirious from his fever." Alex lifted his head to stare at her, and she tried not to fidget and give herself away. She met his cold, dark eyes (that looked  _way_  too old and soulless) and didn't look away. He continued to stare before slowly nodded and taking her seat beside Doyle.

"Alright." There was no tone to Alex's voice, so Drew couldn't tell if he was disappointed or not, but she was glad he didn't ask further. She briefly wondered about staying in the same room, but knew it would probably make the spy suspicious, so she left to head for the security room to keep an eye on him. It was the only sure way she could keep an eye on him without him knowing, but she also couldn't stay in there all the time because Alex would also get suspicious and figure it out. She knew he wasn't dumb and he knew she wasn't dumb, so he was bound to figure it out sooner or later. Drew just hoped he wouldn't push her away, worse leave, and came up with an idea. But she would have to grab Alex's phone and that wouldn't be an easy task, but she needed it for her back-up plan.

* * *

_Doyle was not dense. He didn't seem like he knew much, but he did. And he knew when Alex started acting strange, which was right after the first nightmare. Though Alex was helping him learn to defend himself and he chewed him out for pulling such a dangerous stunt, Doyle could see that the blond was hiding something. Doyle had promised not to pry, but he got the feeling that he had to know what was going on this time. It was just a feeling he had, and he trusted his instincts._

_"Alex?" he knocked on the bathroom door, the one that connected to Alex's bedroom. Alex had gone in a while ago and now the redhead was worried. His instincts told him that this was a perfect time to find out what Alex was hiding, but he wasn't sure he wanted to find out now, feelings of decency at the forefront._

_"Are you in there?" he asked again, knocking harder. He heard nothing and frowned, pulling back. He knew Alex had gone in there, but to get no answer was strange. Decency was now out the window as he pulled out some lockpicks from his pocket (which he had stolen from Alex), knowing he had to find out why Alex wasn't answering him. Had something happened? Could Alex not speak? The silence was killing him._

_"Let's hope I'm making the right choice..." the redhead muttered under his breath as he worked with the lock, quickly getting it open using skills he had learned long before now. Resting a hand on the knob for only a few moments, Doyle turned it and opened the door in time to catch Alex pull his sleeves down. Doyle was sure he had seen bandages covering Alex's arms in that quick moment and the blond hadn't gone on any missions, so why?_

_"If you were in here, why didn't you answer me?" Doyle asked softly, "What's going on?"_

_"Nothing you need to worry about." answered Alex._

_"Then why didn't you answer? I know I said I wouldn't try to know what you're hiding, but this is something different, I can feel it." Doyle leaned against the door, blocking Alex's only escape (there was no window and the vent was too small), "I know I'm not all that close to you, but please tell me what's going on. Why are you hiding those bandages from me, why didn't you answer when I asked?" Alex was quiet and didn't look at him, letting Doyle know that something really was wrong. Sighing, the redhead darted forward and grabbed Alex's wrist and pulling his shirt sleeve up._

_"Don't!" Finally Alex was showing emotion, fearfully trying to pry Doyle's hands away, but was unable to. The bandages were clear now, standing out against the darker skin, but it wasn't even. It looked like he had only wrapped patches and Doyle frowned, getting an idea of what had happened. He indiscriminately reached down and searched Alex's pockets, coming across nothing, then scanned the sink countertop. There, in the sink, he saw a disposable razor blade._

_"You didn't have time to throw this away, did you?" Doyle picked up the razor blade, then turned back to a shameful Alex, "How long has this been going on?" Alex said nothing and kept his head down. Doyle growled and slammed Alex against a wall, "HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON?! You don't think I didn't see how different you were acting? You don't think I wouldn't be worried? I CARE, ALEX! I care about my only friend, especially if they've fallen into so much hurt. So please, tell me when this started."_

_"..." Alex's head had hit the wall behind him, but he didn't show any pain because he didn't want to worry Doyle, "...Since the nightmare."_

_"Thought so." Doyle pulled him close and hugged the spy, "Why?"_

_"I hurt you. You're my...my friend, I can't do that." Alex almost said 'you're my secret lover' but quickly fixed it so Doyle didn't know. Doyle couldn't know, because what if he wasn't gay? What if he didn't feel the same? Alex didn't want to know, because if he was rejected, that would feel worse than not knowing at all._

_"So you've been hurting yourself because you hurt me?" When he felt Alex slowly nod, Doyle sighed, "You should go get help for this."_

_"No." Alex tried to push away, "I don't need help. They wouldn't understand."_

_"Then don't. I know it would probably be better to get professional help, but I won't make you until it goes too far." Doyle continued to hold Alex close, not letting the other get away, "Since it was my fault you started hurting yourself, I'm going to be by your side all the time. I'm going to always be here for you until you get well. It was my fault you did this, so I'm going to be the one to make you better." Doyle felt tears in his eyes start to slide down his face, "I'm so so sorry I let it go this far. I knew there was something wrong, but to see you like this, hating yourself because of a nightmare? You have no idea how much it hurts me as much as it hurts you."_

_"I..." Alex didn't know how to respond to that, to know how much Doyle cared for him in such a short time. He stopped trying to push himself away and hugged back, "I'm sorry for hurting you. I'll try to get better, I promise. And if I don't, I give you full permission to smack me silly." Doyle gave a small chuckle at that._

_"I'll hold you to it, Alex." the redhead murmured, "Don't think I won't because I'll make sure to do it if you start falling again."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I've never dealt with depression before myself or know anyone who has, so I tried to do my best with what I know.
> 
> 2\. The Mamba pistol is a headcanon I have for Alex, since I think he gets a specially customized one after all of his adventures if just to protect himself. Here's the description I use for it:
> 
> 'In his jacket, he had a gun holster, holding a Mamba pistol that MI6 specifically got for him in case of emergencies. It was a bit unusual for a gun; it had a 15-round magazine with a single position feed, it could stay in a 'cocked and locked' state with the safety on, it had a machined hole near the front of the barrel instead of a bushing to help its accuracy, the barrel itself had a 12-groove 'button rifling' (which is said to increase muzzle velocity)... The only problem was that they were rumored to have poor workmanship. However, since this one was custom-made for Alex alone, he didn't have to worry. MI6 would have made sure it was the best quality he could get.'


	16. Can't Help Falling In Love (With Doyle)

Alex hadn't moved from Doyle's side since returning to the Medical Bay, staring at his feverish ex with deep sadness. He knew the feeling of helplessness, he had felt it endlessly after losing someone very close to him, and to experience it again hurt him deeply. Doyle whimpered, frowning in his sleep, and Alex thread his fingers through the redhead's small amount of hair to comfort him with whatever he was facing in his feverish mind. The blond knew what kind of terrors a fever could make, he know how horrible they could be, and he wished he could take it all away from Doyle and onto himself. His sweet little Strawberry didn't deserve this, not one bit.

Suddenly Doyle gave a growl and swung his arm out, causing Alex to duck and stand, moving out of range. Doyle's hand, the one that he had swung out that also had the dislocated wrist, hit the wall and caused a dent, but also damaged the redhead. The resulting flash of pain made Doyle yelp and curl back into himself, whimpering. Alex gave a small sigh and returned to the chair, raising a hand to trace across Doyle's face, hoping to calm the ex-mercenary a bit.

"It's going to be okay." he said, though he didn't feel any hope of it himself, "I promise. You're going to be okay." Alex continued to murmur to Doyle, trying to take away some of the fear. His other hand trailed own to rest near Doyle's, where it was quickly grabbed in a terrified vice by the other man. Alex winced at the strength of the grip but didn't pull away. Any sort of grip on reality, whether it be physical or mental, would have given some sort of relief to Doyle, Alex knew this from experience. And he was somewhat right, as the redhead slowly opened his foggy eyes a minute or two later. Alex said nothing, pulling his hand away from Doyle's face as the bigger man looked around, confusion clear to see in the frown he made.

"Where am I?" he asked slowly, "Who are you?" Alex forced a smile onto his face, hoping it didn't look too fake.

"Just a friend. Go back to sleep, Doyle. You're safe." The confused, sick man blinked, then slid his eyes closed and was back off to sleep again. Alex closed his eyes as well and felt tears run down. It had been a long time since he had truly cried. The last time had been after he had left Doyle, coming back to find that the redhead was nowhere to be found. He had thought something had happened, that Doyle was gone forever, until Smithers (who had kept an eye on the apartment) told him the truth. And now he was crying because Doyle didn't know he was seeing Alex because of his fever. Something bubbled up in his mind about the moment and he found himself humming, still crying as he began singing a tune, one that was a cover of the original.

" _Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can't help falling in love with you..._ "

* * *

_"You cheated."_

_"How the h*ll can I cheat on a_ dancing _game?"_

_"I don't know, but you did!"_

_"You're just mad you didn't get the best 6 out of 10 that we played."_

_"Shut up."came the returning growl as Doyle crossed his arms. The apartment wasn't just fancy, it also had games, including one called_ Just Dance _ _._ Doyle had challenged Alex to a dance-off and had lost, so now he was being a sore loser about it (as it appeared to Alex)._

_"Well, while we take a rest from me kicking your sorry ars*, how about we listen to music?" Alex left the game screen on pause and changed the TV to a music channel. He sat on the couch and brought Doyle down with him. The redhead growled but didn't move to get up, as he was also tired. The last song soon ended and the next one up was Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley. It was a nice song that caused Alex to smile and blush slightly, as it reflected his secret feelings for the man beside him._

_Alex knew he was head-over-heels for Doyle and didn't deny it, but he worried that Doyle didn't feel the same. There was no indication that Doyle liked him, no blushing, no stuttering, nothing that Alex thought would count as lovestruck. And if Doyle found someone else to love, it would hurt Alex, but it wouldn't break him. He expected bad things to happen to him after how horrible his life went after losing his uncle. What he didn't expect, though, was for Doyle to wrap an arm around him and pull him close, which caused Alex to freeze._

_"You wanna freeze in your sweat or are you gonna share your body heat with me?" Doyle asked, feeling a bit cold himself. Alex said nothing but accepted the offer, sitting closer to the redhead. Doyle pulled Alex so the blond leaned into his side and the spy wondered if Doyle actually_ did  _like him back, but had different signs to show. Or maybe Alex was thinking too much into this or Doyle was densely oblivious. Could be any of his guesses and Alex wasn't about to pick and choose._

* * *

After making sure that Doyle was going to be okay, Alex left the room. He went to the kitchen and found the cryptids and Zak poking around for food.

"Hey!" the boy poked his head out of the fridge, "Do you mind fixing us breakfast, please?"

"Not at all." Alex smiled and stepped forward. Fisk sighed in relief that he wouldn't have to try cooking while Komodo chewed on a leftover chicken leg he had found in the fridge. Zon squawked and stared at Alex with big eyes, trilling for her food.

"Zon, I asked first!" The pterosaur growled at him, as if saying that he needed to be reminded that she didn't eat the same thing as he and the other cryptids did. Alex rolled his eyes but handed her the bucket of fish from the freezer. She gave a small yip of happiness as she took the bucket in her beak before flying off, probably back to her nest.

"Aw man..." Zak grumbled, crossing his arms.

"She had every right to get her food first and you know it." Alex told him, "So, what do you guys want for breakfast?"

"Bacon, eggs, toast..." Zak listed the items on his fingers.

"Coming right up." Alex answered.

"Hmm..." Fisk, however, was staring at the spy as if he sensed something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Zak was trying to whisper but Alex, after years of practice, could overhear them plainly. Fisk whispered something to Zak that Alex couldn't understand and the boy answered, "Mom said nothing happened last night, at least nothing major." Komodo gave a small hiss, as if saying, 'She was lying and you know it as well as I do!' "Alex can't be the source of everything that's been happening, right?"

"I wouldn't be on it." the blond quipped, making the others jump. Komodo hissed while Fisk sputtered words Alex couldn't understand and Zak said, "Hey! Why were you listening to us?"

"You weren't being exactly quiet." said the man, "But what did you hear last night that Drew didn't want you to know about?"

"Just some loud noises. Did something happen, though?" Zak stood beside Alex and looked up at him, "Komodo thinks Mom is lying but Fisk and I aren't sure. You'll tell me though, right?" Alex glanced at him before giving a sigh.

"I don't want to lie to you, but I don't want to tell you everything, either." Alex answered, "All I can say is that it had to do with your uncle. The reason I'm telling you that much is because I know how it feels to be lied to, and not in a small way."

"What do you mean? And where's Doyle, anyway? Is he sleeping in or is he on a mission?"

"..." Alex finished up the breakfast and began putting it all on different plates that Fisk kindly handed to him, "You're a smart kid, Zak. That much I'll admit at this point in time. And what I mean is, when I've been lied to, it usually had horrible consequences, like nearly getting me killed. That's why I'm not lying to you, but I'm not telling you everything, either. I don't want you to grow up with the foundation of your life being centered on lies, like mine was." He handed a filled plate to Zak, "Go give this to your mother. I think she's in the security room."

"Ah..." Zak wanted to speak, to ask more about what Alex meant, but didn't. Instead, he followed Alex's request and left the room, where Komodo tailed behind.

**Cryptid Translator: ON**

"He didn't answer about Doyle at all though." Komodo said, "He knows more than he's telling us."

"And maybe that's for good reason." Zak said, "He said his life was built on lies, I think, so maybe he's trying to protect us."

"You're old enough to know about this stuff as much as we do." Komodo said, "He might still think of you as a kid that needs to be protected instead of letting you help."

"Well, you said he knows more than he's letting us in on. Maybe that's why he thinks that way. He doesn't want us to get hurt." Komodo gave a huff.

"I still don't trust him." Zak raised an eyebrow.

"He only kicked you in the chin  _once_."

"And it'll be a grudge I'll hold over his head for the rest of my life!"

"Yeah yeah..."

**Cryptid Translator: OFF**

* * *

"It's not doing much." growled Drew Monday, staring at the mirror of her makeup compact. Beside her was Doyle's soulstone inside the acid they had gathered, which was contained in an acid-proof capsule. It had been in there since last night, but as she watched the mirror, it seemed it wasn't doing much.

"Well, it was  _your_  idea!" Komodo said, the only other person (or cryptid) in the room with her, "Perhaps if you had let  _me_  plan this instead-"

"Shut it, handbag!" Drew snapped the compact closed, "And anyway, have you managed to contact that overconfident smarta** brother of mine yet?"

"I wish." Komodo said, "Every time we've tried, it goes straight to voicemail. I believe his phone may have been destroyed for some reason, possibly because he might be with this world's Alex."

"Yeah right. If Blackwell is really close to his Alex in his world, then my brother must hate this Alex."

"Which is why his phone might be destroyed. Though, if you care so much for your son, why don't you go help your brother?"

"He can take care of himself." she said offhandedly, "The only reason I'm asking you all to call him is so he can get his own revenge because I know he wants it." Komodo narrowed his eyes.

"I see. Well,  _I_  am going to go try and contact him again. Goodbye." Drew didn't answer, opening the compact again. Komodo didn't do anything until he left the room, where the doors closed. Fisk and Zon were waiting for him.

"Well?" growled Fisk, arms crossed.

"Follow me. The three of us have our own agenda."

"Which is?" asked Zon, who wasn't going to budge until she knew what was going on. Komodo, who had walked ahead, stopped and turned his head to look at them.

"We're off to save Doyle Whitewell."

* * *

"Mom?" Zak poked his head in, wary. He wasn't sure what he expected to see besides his mother staring at the monitors, so he was careful, but that's how he found her. Drew sighed and turned them off, turning in her chair to face her son.

"Thanks, honey." she stood and went over to take the plate, "How did you know where to find me?"

"Alex told me." Komodo poked his head out from behind Zak and gave a hiss. Drew rolled her eyes at him but handed the giant lizard a slice of her bacon. He growled happily and chewed on it before wandering off.

"Hey, Mom," Zak went inside and joined her, sitting in one of the rolling chairs, "Why is Alex lying to us?"

"What do you mean?" Drew gave her son a confused frown.

"I know he's a spy and all, but that doesn't mean he has to protect us from everything." he crossed his arms, "I may get into trouble a lot, but I'm  _not_  stupid, Mom. Something happened last night and all Alex would tell me is that it had to do with Uncle Doyle. He said he didn't want to lie to me because he knows what having that kind of life is like, so I want to know why he has to lie."

"Its become part of his nature." Drew answered slowly, "You lie sometimes too, Zak, we're all as guilty as he is of lying, but he has to do it more because he doesn't want other people to be hurt. Doyle lies to us all the time, too, since there are still some things about him none of us know. If Alex told us everything, then we'd have as much of a burden as he does. What if he told you a secret that no one else knew and if you told it to another person, it would but not only his life but the lives of many others in danger? What would you do?"

"...It'd be hard to keep it a secret. I'd want to tell it, but I wouldn't want to hurt anyone."

"Exactly. That's what he has, Zak. He wants to tell us everything, but he can't because if he did, he would be putting our lives in danger. Maybe one day he'll tell us, maybe through bits and pieces, but for now, let him do what he has to."

"Okay, but just one more thing." Zak leaned forward, "Tell me what happened last night. It was something bad, wasn't it?"

"...It was." Drew turned away from her son so he wouldn't have to see the deep sadness on her face, "He's really sick right now, he fell ill last night."

"Then why don't you go see him?"

"I already have."

"Then why are you here?" Zak sat back again, his arms now uncrossed, "Were you spying on Alex?"

"..." His mother said nothing, giving him his answer.

"Why? You want to let him have his privacy, right? You pretty much said that with what you were just telling me, so why are you doing this?"

"It's not the only thing I'm doing." Drew gestured to a stack of books to the side of her, one of which was splayed over the keyboard, "I'm looking for something in my books, trying to find the cure for Doyle's illness." She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the head, "Thank you for the food, sweetie, but could you go wake up your father if he isn't already up and tell him to keep looking for a way to get to the mirror? It's become a bit more urgent we get to it now rather than later."

"Alright, but I want you to promise to not lie to me anymore. I'm not a kid, Mom, but I know I'm not an adult yet. I just want you to stop treating me like I shouldn't know everything."

"Okay. I'll do that, I promise." She ruffled the hair on his head and he left the room, leaving her alone again. She waited a moment before turning the screens back on. There were two that were on, one which was showing Alex in the dining room and the other on the Medical Bay, watching over her brother. She had been lying to Zak when she had shown him the books, as she knew exactly how to get rid of Doyle's illness if it was indeed related to the soulstones. The books she had brought were over dreamcatchers, as she was hoping they might be able to tell her how to make one that works or give her a location to one, as, given with the noise of last night, she thought Alex probably needed it.

"I just wonder how he even knew I was in here..."


	17. Can't Make Up My Mind

When Zak got back to the kitchen, he didn't expect to see what he saw. Both Komodo and Fisk seemed to be waking up after getting knocked out and Alex was nowhere in sight.

“You guys okay?” the boy asked worriedly, helping Fisk to his feet. The Fiskerton Phantom groaned, rubbing his head, and muttered something about Alex having fast reflexes. Komodo hissed in agreement, mentally adding the splitting headache he had to his list of 'Things to be Angry at Alex For.' Zak seemed to get what they were saying and said, “So Alex did this to you?” The two cryptids nodded just as Zon flew in. She gave a caw, saying that she had spotted Alex leaving the compound before she held out her beak. There was a note and Zak unfolded it, reading it aloud so his siblings could hear.

“ _I'm sorry, but I can't wait any longer._ ” said the letter, “ _If the Mondays are behind this, I'm going to force them to make Doyle well again. Don't try and stop me._ ”

“Aw man, Mom and Dad are gonna be _so_ mad!” Zak facepalmed, “But this gives me a chance to talk with Ulraj, Wadi, and Francis. Can you guys make sure Mom and Dad can't find me if they start looking?” The cryptids nodded, though Fisk asked where Zak was going to go. Was he going to stay at the compound with his friends or were they going elsewhere?

“Elsewhere, Fisk.” Zak said, “If we want to figure out what's going on, we're gonna need to do all we can, especially if MI6 tries to track us down.” The cryptids all frowned, not wanting him to go alone, and Zon gave a trill, saying that she was coming along. “No, Zon-” She interrupted him as she growled. She wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. Zak sighed, then nodded.

“Alright, but be careful.” He then pulled out his phone and began calling his friends.

* * *

Drew, after finishing her food, was quick to see that Alex was gone. Worry set in as she wondered where he could have gone so quickly until she saw the note Zak got from Zon. There was no audio in the cameras just yet (Doc had been planning on installing it soon) so she zoomed in and read it over her son's shoulder. When she reached the end, she cursed a little before giving an irritated sigh.

“Does he have no sense of self-preservation?!” she growled, then headed out to find Doc. He was in the lab, using the main computer to research a way to get the Aztec Mirror legally and be able to break it without having someone come after them. Doc heard her come in and turned around to greet her, pausing when he saw her angry face.

“What happened?”

“Alex is being stupid and going after the Mondays himself!” she announced, “We have to go after him!”

“We can't do that without being arrested, seeing as the last warning we got mentioned that would happen if we returned to France.” he said, “If we get arrested, then we can't go after Alex, Drew. We can't keep an eye on Zak and the cryptids or take care of your brother, either.” She had told him of the events of last night, so he knew what had happened, “It's too great of a risk.”

“Not with the Mondays. We know what they can do, Alex doesn't!”

“But he's a survivor.” Doc pointed out, “We stand a chance against the Mondays because they're our opposites, but if we ever faced off against Alex's enemies, I don't think we'd last as long. He can handle this, Drew, I really think he can.”

“...We still need to find a way into France to get the mirror, though. I don't want to let him go without backup.” she said, resigned in the knowledge that Doc was right. If they got arrested, who knew what would happen to Doyle, Zak, and the cryptids? Especially if Alex didn't come back? Drew let her husband get back to work, leaving to grab the dreamcatcher books she had left behind in the security room. She knew that, besides helping Doc, there was only one other thing she could do, and that was to find or make a dreamcatcher to help Alex if he came back.

Doc watched as she left and wondered if there was more to her worry than she let on. He knew his wife well, and if she had a grudge against something and it made her angry, she wouldn't stop until she got revenge. Going after Argost after learning the truth about her parents had made that plain as day. Drew was not going to let Alex run away like this, and Doc wondered why she wanted Alex to come back in the first place. He had noticed signs, small signs, that Drew was jealous and angry at Alex because of Doyle. She wanted to protect her brother, so shouldn't she be glad the spy was now gone? What made her change her mind and want Alex back? It was all a mystery Doc hoped to learn the answer to before worse happened, possibly things that could tear the Saturday family apart.

* * *

Alex knew the soulstones were the key to both helping and hurting Doyle. He knew that the Mondays possibly had some, since they had probably stolen the rings. He knew the mirror was in France. He knew Drew was probably glad he was gone, even though she seemed to enjoy his company. Alex wasn't stupid, but sometimes he wished he could be so he wouldn't have to lead the kind of life he was living. Either way, he had stolen the Griffon and was now flying to France (he would have taken Doyle's jet, but it was still under repair). He knew where the mirror was and unlike the Saturdays, he didn't have to deal with red tape and such. Much to his chagrin, it was one of the perks of being a spy.

The Griffin flew fast through the air and, though he had rarely been in a jet, Alex had learned how to pilot one and felt some of the weight on his shoulders be lifted away by the vastness of the sky. It had been a long time since he had felt this safe, this secure, and the last time had been when he and Doyle had been together. The thought put a damper on his mood and caused the weight to return, forcing him to remember why he was flying in the first place. It also caused him to wonder once again if, after this, he should leave the Saturdays and Doyle for good. All he had done so far was cause them trouble, he didn't need to do it anymore, even if it caused him grief and heartache. All he brought was bad luck to Doyle and to everyone else around him. Despite the redhead's 'morality pet' status, Alex didn't think that would be enough to keep him there with the luck he had. Nodding and agreeing with the lie he was telling himself, he noted to leave them once Doyle was safe and healthy again. He may have wanted to run away to keep the love of his life safe, but he'd do anything for Doyle. Even the impossible.

He had the Griffon touch down at the airport nearest to the Louvre, where it had been held, and entered with no restrictions. They knew him, he had helped them save their art before and he had even stopped a forgery ring that had almost gotten to the Mona Lisa. He headed to the head curator's office and found him there, waiting as if he had known Alex was coming.

“Back so soon?” asked Mr. Paquin, a young man with think glasses who looked better suited to be working with tech than in an art museum. His strong French accent could easily be heard, but Alex smiled at the effort he was making to speak in English. Alex had, after all, saved the Louvre during Mr. Paquin's first day on the job, so the head curator owed him that much.

“ _Ne vous inquiétez pas pour les anglais._ ” (Don't worry about the English.) said Alex in French, one of the many languages he knew as easily as his own thanks to his uncle, “ _J'ai besoin de voir un artefact._ ” (I need to see an artifact.)

“ _Bien sûr! Qu'est-ce que tu veux voir?_ ” (Of course! Which do you need to see?)

“ _Le miroir de fumée de Tezcatlipoca._ ” (The Smoke Mirror of Tezcatlipoca.) Mr. Paquin frowned.

“ _Je suis vraiment désolé, m. Rider, mais cet artefact a été transféré._ ” (I am very sorry, Mr. Rider, but that artifact has been transferred.)

“ _Où?_ ” (Where?) Alex needed to know immediately, he couldn't waste time.

“ _Le Musée du verre de Murano près de Venise._ ” (The Murano Glass Museum near Venice.)

“I see.” Alex couldn't help switching back to English at the revelation, but at least it wasn't far, “Thank you.”

“You are welcome, _Monsieur_ Rider.” Alex bid the man goodbye and left the museum as he considered his options. Venice, Italy, was not as far as the Saturdays' home was, and it had taken only an hour to arrive in the Griffon, which had a slightly less engine capacity than the airship, but it was still impressive. He would arrive in the City of Canals in just a few minutes and would have to use his contacts to get int to see the mirror, but it suddenly occurred to him the thought of how he was supposed to go in and get back out again. He could tie a rope around his waist to go in and out, but that didn't solve the problem of how he was supposed to enter the mirror in the first place. He had an opposite, somewhere in the other world, so if he went in, would his opposite take his place here? And if so, Alex didn't want that to happen, not without a way to keep his opposite in check. Because, if his opposite was as bad as Alex imagined him to be, then the world was in trouble.

Despite his split-second crusade, he knew he had to head back. He wasn't going to be able to save Doyle without the Saturdays' help and their knowledge on the mirror and of the Anti-Matter world, especially if his Anti-Self could get into this world. And if the other Alex could, then this Alex wanted at least someone to be able to hold the other back, to make sure he didn't do anything horrible, especially to Doyle. With that in mind, Alex headed back to the Griffon, mentally preparing for the tearing out he was going to get when he returned.

* * *

Drew held up the dreamcatcher, examining it to make sure it had been made right. As her books had told her, apparently the strongest dreamcatchers were ones made at home, for a love one you feared was having the worst of times. And, though Alex wasn't exactly as close to Drew as everyone else was, she hoped it was enough to make the nightmares stop (especially if Alex kept accidentally hurting Doyle in his sleep). It was all she could do while the spy was gone, though she hated the thought of Alex being off on his own. Suddenly the door to her and Doc's room opened and she turned to see said man enter. At first she was surprised, then filled with anger and happiness. She jumped off the bed and went over to him, giving him a hug.

“Where have you been?!” she chided, nagging on him as if he was one of her boys, “You didn't have to go by yourself, let alone leave a note and not telling us about it!”

“Look, I'm sorry. I came back because I realized I couldn't go after the Mondays alone, not if my counterpart could come through and attack.” Alex admitted, “I need your help, Drew. Your's and the rest of the Saturdays' help.” Drew frowned at him, ready to call him out, but stopped herself. She didn't need to get into a fight with him, she needed to prove that she wasn't jealous of the connection he had to her brother. Instead, she held out the dreamcatcher.

“And I realized that, though I didn't really show it, I've been a bit of a jerk to you because I was jealous.” Alex raised an eyebrow as she continued, “Doyle called me out on it, and I wanted to make a peace gift. This is a dreamcatcher, and it should help fend off your nightmares.” Alex took it from her and held the string in his hand, watching the item slowly twirl in the air. He smiled.

“Thanks but no thanks, Drew.” he held it out to hand it back to her, “I've tried dreamcatchers before. They never work.” Drew pushed it back towards him.

“I promise that this one will work.” she stared him straight in the eyes as she said, “If I was right about the soulstones, why would I be wrong about this?” Alex was silent. Drew continued on, “I also took your phone and used it.”

“What?” Her words had drawn an immediate response out of Alex, who now looked angry.

“I didn't call anyone.” she held it out and he snatched it back, “But I modified it for you. I scrambled the signal so, when you cll someone, it can't be traced anymore and you don't have to keep getting new phones.”

“Any trackers?” he asked, not breaking from his anger.

“Yes, just to keep an eye on you. I'm sorry, Alex, I really am, but you have no idea how important it is to me about protecting people or avenging them. I want to get Doyle well again, just like you, but I learned the hard way what the cost was when you don't plan things out.” Drew hung her head as memories of the funeral floated through her head. All was quiet for a moment before a hand was laid on her head. Drew looked up to see Alex's hand resting above, on her head, and he wasn't angry anymore, but there was no emotion to his face.

“I know how important it is, Drew. A long time ago, I lost someone very important to me and my entire world was shattered. I thought I would never recover, and I honestly didn't for a long time.” A lost look came to Alex's eyes, “I don't know when I started caring again, when the pieces were put back together, but I think it was because of Doyle.” His focus returned to her, “Her brother gave life back to me. After the death of my friend, I lost myself in my spywork, I didn't care whether I lived or died, I didn't care about the people around me, but all that changed when Doyle helped e pick up the pieces at last. The reason I didn't recover isn't because no one tried to help me, but it was because I didn't let the help in. No one knew what to do with me, they didn't try getting past my barriers, but when I had to take care of Doyle, I let him in and he managed to change me.” Alex grinned, “Whether for better or worse is to be debated, but just let it be known that I _do_ understand, Drew.” He took his hand away before holding it out to her, “No more new secrets?”

“...No more.” she agreed and they shook hands, “What do you say we go hang that dreamcatcher up in your room?”

“Sure. Then we can go visit Doyle.” Alex's grin dropped, “I just hope there's a way to help him.” Drew put a hand on the other's shoulder.

“There's a way, Alex, we just need to keep looking.” She gave him a hug and, slowly, Alex hugged back. He was not much of a hugger, he never had been with anyone except Doyle and Jack, but he knew he would have to get used to it if he was going to become a part of his ex-fiance's family.

* * *

“Rah!” Drew Monday crushed the compact in her grip and threw the brown stone across the room, hitting the wall, “Why isn't it working?!”

“Why isn't what working?” asked Doc Monday.

“His stone!” Drew walked over to where she had thrown the stone and held it up, showing the cracks that had occurred from the throw, “Alex Rider's soulstone! I was trying to make scratches on it to hurt him, but nothing I did made him hurt!”

“Maybe he's invincible?” Drew turned on him.

“That's not it!” Drew looked at the stone again, “Maybe it's a fake!” Doc tilted his head.

“Why a fake?” She examined the stone closer and held it up.

“...Maybe it's not as powerful an item as we think. Maybe the ring isn't the most important item to Alex, maybe there's something more.”

“What is it?”

“How should I know?! God, where is that handbag of a komodo dragon?! I'll tear him a new one for grabbing the wrong item!” she growled, “But as it is, let's take the stone out of the acid so that we can hurt Doyle and Alex more until we can get another stone.”

* * *

“Everyone ready?” asked Zak, looking around him. With Zon's help, he had flown out to see Ulraj, Wadi, and Francis on the Kumari Serpent, mainly in Kumari Kandam, where they wouldn't be found without a little bit of searching. Wadi had already been visiting Ulraj for a time and the young king had been in the waters near the Saturday home. It had taken a bit longer for Francis to arrive, not only having to sneak away but also to find them, but now they were all together in the throne room.

“For what, exactly?” Francis frowned, “You still haven't told us why you wanted this meeting.”

“I need help finding out about a guy named Julius that might be in the MI6 database.” Zak said, “Think you can do it?”

“Of course. But then why are Wadi and Ulraj here?”

“I wanted to tell you guys about everything that's been going on...” And Zak commenced to tell them everything he knew about Alex Rider. Apparently Francis knew most everything, as he didn't react except for a few times as he began hacking on his laptop, but flinched when Zak got to the part about Epsilon's visit.

“All of that is terrible!” said Ulraj at last, “And no one does anything to stop it?”

“We can't. Trust me, we would if we could.”

“But that still does not explain why we are here, Zak.” Wadi pointed out, “Why do you need the help of Ulraj and I when you have Francis?”

“We can't do this alone, I know that much. Francis can hack into things and is a good spy himself, but neither of us has a safe place to stay like Kumari Kandam or spectacular stealing skills. If we want to get to the bottom of Alex, then we all need to work together.”

“You're making a grave mistake, Zak.” Francis warned, “My laptop can't be traced easily, but MI6 managed. If they can do that with a Gray Men computer, then they can also find us.” The green-haired boy looked up, “I know more about Alex than any of you, and I know what we're up against. We don't need to do this, it's practically suicide!”

“Wait, how much do you know about Alex?”

“Enough to know that hacking MI6 is a bad idea.”

“But if you know about Alex, then you can tell us what you know, right?” Ulraj asked. Francis paused in typing and sighed.

“I can tell you, but don't let Alex know I told you, because he would most certainly come after me if he knew I knew, as well as go after the rest of the Gray Men.” Francis closed his laptop, “To start, the Julius that was mentioned is Julius Grief, a clone Alex fought a long time ago. He's now dead, but what made him such a terrible enemy to Alex is because of several factors.” Francis counted out the reasons on his fingers, “The first is that, though he isn't Alex's clone, he had plastic surgery done on him to make him look like Alex for an evil plot that Alex foiled. It was because of this that Julius wanted revenge, and lots of it. The second thing that made him a terrible enemy to Alex was what he did to Jack Starbright, a very close friend to Alex.”

“Wait, Jack?” Zak thought back, “I think I saw Doyle with a photo of Jack and Alex when Alex went on a mission the first time he was with us. It was a picture of him and a redheaded woman, but this was when he was our age.”

“That's probably her. Anyway, Julius killed Jack and in turn Alex killed Julius.” Francis shook his head, “You know how Alex isn't everything he says he is, Zak, I know you know that. But he can be a ruthless assassin if given the right motivation.”

“Then why do the Gray Men and Alex not like each other?” Zak asked.

“It's mostly because of the feud between us and MI6. The agencies are the best in the world and have the best spies, my father and Alex, who are relatively equal in skill. But the reason that my father and Alex is me.”

“You?” asked Wadi, “Why you?” Francis gave a hesitant glance to Zak, almost as if to ask if Wadi and Ulraj knew what he was.

“See, Francis is a clone.” Zak spoke up, “He and Epsilon were cloned from the greatest spy the Gray Men ever had. And I bet that's why Alex doesn't like the Gray Men!” The Saturday boy turned excitedly to his friends, “Think about it: Alex had a bad experience with clones because of Julius, which is why he doesn't like you or Epsilon. But then why does he want to help you?” Wadi and Ulraj had been shocked at the turn of events as Francis gave Zak a confused look.

“Help me? Why would Alex ever want to help _me_?” Francis looked away, “In his eyes I'm probably nothing more than Julius was.”

“I told you how I listened in on their conversation, and Epsilon mentioned that Alex was trying to help you. As for the reason, I don't know why.” Zak went over to Francis, “But he wouldn't try to help you if he thought you were like that, which means he knows you're different. Maybe he's trying to see past his views on clones to help you.”

“But that still doesn't tell us why he wants to help Francis.” Ulraj spoke up, “And though I'm a bit mad you didn't tell us about this, I'm fine with it.”

“Fine with what?”

“With the fact that Francis is a clone.” said Wadi, walking over to the two boys, “Just because you weren't born the same way as everyone else doesn't mean you're not a person, Francis.” She gave them both a hug before pulling back, “And now I have two people to prank!” In her hands were both of the boys' belts, causing their pants to fall. Both of them grew red and Zak chased after Wadi, demanding for his belt to be returned. Ulraj laughed and wondered why they had never gotten together like this before, because this was some of the most fun he had had in a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I know regular air transportation can't take you to such a far away place that fast, but if the Saturdays' airship can do it in their universe, then they also had to have made the Griffon very fast as well.


	18. Stop With The Nightmares, Please

“How is he?” Alex looked up to see Doc enter. After hanging up the dreamcatcher and visiting Doyle (and subtly checking for any marks Alex may have made on his person), Drew had gone off to relieve Doc, knowing how absorbed the other could get. And, with a little fussing, she had managed to boot him out of the lab and force him to go see Doyle and Alex.

“A little better, actually.” Alex looked from Doc to Doyle, “His fever went down a little shortly after Drew left. I think the Mondays are doing something to his soulstone that made him sick, but now he's getting well again.” Doc crossed his arms.

“Though I don't believe in magic, it's good to see him doing better. Even if he is a nuisance sometimes.” Alex chuckled a little at the remark.

“He has a tendency to get into trouble, just like me, so I can see where you're coming from.” Alex moved his hand as if to lay it on Doyle's shoulder or chest, then stopped and drew his hand back, “I'm sorry for leaving like I did, but I wanted to help him. I f Drew had been in his place, you would have done the same.”

“She's also his sister, she knows where you're coming from, but she also knows a bit about revenge. She knew what would happen if she just went after the Mondays with no plan.” Doc gave a sigh, “It was because of her revenge-recklessness that got Van Rook killed.”

“But sometimes revenge in the moment gets you just what you want. It got me what I wanted, at least.”

“And what was that?”

“I killed the guy that killed my best friend.” Alex clenched a hand, “And then I killed the guy that was in on it. But I can never get back my best friend, and now that I have—or had—Doyle, I don't want to lose him like I lost my best friends.”

“Who was your best friend?” Alex took out his wallet and showed Doc the picture he had given to Doyle before it had been returned.

“That's me and Jack, back where I was just a kid. She raised me for most of my life, more than my uncle ever did, and she was the only adult I ever trusted until her death.”

“So you were an orphan?”

“Sort of.” Alex put the picture and his wallet away, “My dad, John Rider, was also a spy, even before I was born. He met my mother and then they had me. But before I was a month old, they took a plane to France for a vacation and it blew up, killing them. I would have been with them if I hadn't gotten an ear infection. And the one that planted the bomb was my godfather, who's dead now, too.” Alex shook his head, “I don't have any family left, Doc. The only person I have left is Doyle, and even though I keep telling myself it's for the best if I leave you guys again, I just can't. I can't leave because I don't want to lose Doyle again, no matter how hard I try to convince myself otherwise.” Alex looked up at him, “Is it selfish of me to think that way?”

“Not at all. You love him Alex, and all you want to do is protect him. You want to leave to protect him from everything that's after you, but you can't leave because you also know that leaving him for a second time would break both of you. You have no idea how sad he was during the week that you were gone. He tried to distract himself, but anyone could see how he wanted you to come back, safe and sound. If anything, you need to stay here and protect Doyle, because you can't protect him if you leave him. Got it?”

“...Yeah.” Alex smiled and stood from the chair he had been sitting in, “Thanks, Doc. And if I try to leave again, I want you to give me a nice punch and knock me back to my senses.”

“Gladly.” Doc smiled back, “And have you seen-?”

“Zak? No, not at all, but I'm pretty sure he's not in the house anymore. It's much too quiet.” Doc sighed again as he rubbed his face.

“Just as I thought. I wonder where he went off to _this_ time...”

“If you want, I could help you track him down.” Alex began following Doc out of the Medical Bay, “You said he had trackers in his shoes, right?”

* * *

When he woke up, he felt a lot better than before, but it took a minute to remember where he was. He adjusted himself to sit up and winced at the pain in his wrist, remembering what had happened a night or two ago. He remembered fighting his fever to make sure Drew took care of Alex, but then what? How long had he been asleep? Careful with his sprain, Doyle got up and left the Medical Bay, looking around and searching. His heart was beating fast in fear, as he hated waking up alone now that he had found Alex and his family again. He knew it was called autophobia and knew it had come and gone over the years, depending on the circumstances, but he hated it. He hated how it made him feel, whenever he woke up alone shortly after staying close to someone, whether it was Alex or Van Rook or his sister or anyone; he just didn't want to wake up alone anymore.

“Alex?” he called, feeling weak as his voice was dry, “Drew?” He stopped and just stood there in his sleeping clothes, looking around for anyone, even the cryptids. But there was no one around. As his heart beat faster and faster, despite his weak feeling, he gained the strength to run, to go looking for anyone as fast as he could.

“Hello?!” he shouted, “Anyone?! _Anyone_?!” his voice cracked slightly on the second word and he clutched as his chest, where pain began to bloom. His heart wasn't slowing down, it was beating too fast now, it needed to slow down. Doyle was losing his breath, his heart seemed to speed up even more even though he wasn't doing anything, and he collapsed to his knees. His sudden burst of strength was now gone and he was lightheaded, feeling as if he was about to faint. Was he dying? His fear was catching up to him, it was making him pay for all the lonely nights, and he didn't know how to stop it.

“A...” he gasped as he swayed, “Alex...” he couldn't sit up any longer, he collapsed, but he blacked out before he even hit the ground.

* * *

He woke up with a start, back in the Medical Bay. He knew it had to have been a dream, and yet it had felt so real. And he had woken up alone again. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths as he ran his hands through his hair, keep calm and trying not to think about how he was alone. He didn't want to dream to come true, even though it was slightly impossible. He heard the door open and looked up to see Fisk and Komodo stick their heads inside, where he gave a big smile to them. Seeing the cryptids and having them near was better than having no one at all.

“Dezibuh!” cheered Fisk, glad that Doyle was awake. Komodo hissed a similar sound and they bounded over to see him. With open arms Doyle allowed Komodo to even climb on the bed, where the ex-mercenary hugged the giant lizard.

“You have no idea how much you guys are helping me right now.” Doyle admitted, “Just had a bad nightmare and seeing you both made my day.” Komodo hissed a reassurance and licked Doyle's face, causing the redhead to chuckle. He then pulled away and asked, “Did you two know about what happened to me or did you just wander down here?” Fisk made a walking motion with his fingers and a surprised face, indicating that the two didn't know and had wandered by. Doyle was glad for it, though.

“So, where's Miniman? Or my sis or Alex?” Both cryptids shrugged, though they had gotten a little nervous at the mention of Zak by his nickname. Doyle left it be, knowing Zak was getting himself into trouble, and decided to sit up a bit more. He was hit with a wave of dizzyness, though, and quickly laid back down, causing the cryptids to wonder if he was okay.

“I'm okay, just a bit weak.” Doyle rubbed Komodo's head, “Why don't you go track down Alex or Drew and tell them that I'm okay? Fisk can stay here with me.” Komodo gave a nod before jumping off the bed and slithering out the door. Fisk helped the redhead sit up a bit better before handing hi a thermometer. Doyle raised an eyebrow in question.

“Really?”

“Uh huh!” Fisk nodded. Doyle rolled his eyes but put the thermometer into his mouth to check his temperature.

“If Alex or Drew see me like this, you're dead Furball.” Fisk only stuck out his tongue in retaliation (knowing Doyle wouldn't actually do it) before taking out the thermometer. He showed it to Doyle, where it now read 101 degrees.

“Still kind of high. Mind bringing me a glass?” Fisk nodded and did so, bringing a newly-filled glass over to the redhead. It was also at that moment Komodo and Alex came in, where Komodo was dragging Alex by biting the blond's leg. Alex, for his part, looked like he was trying to keep himself from smacking Komodo or kicking him into the wall, but all that faded away when he saw Doyle awake. Without another word he rushed over and hugged the other, not shaking or moving, but just glad Doyle was okay (or at least not asleep anymore). Doyle hugged him back, grateful for the contact. He understood the meaning without the need of words easily, knowing Alex better than anyone else. And after a few moments the two separated and stared at each other, meeting eyes. Komodo and Fisk sneaked out, knowing this was about to get heartfelt and personal.

“How long have I been out?”

“Ever since last night, and I think you woke up once earlier today, but I wasn't there.”

“I know that. How are you holding up?” Alex put his hands on his arms.

“Not too good.” Doyle frowned.

“You didn't go to sleep, did you.” It wasn't a question, “And I'm also guessing that old habits die hard.”

“Do you hate me?”

“No, but from now on I'm grabbing any medications or sharp objects you have and throwing them out the window, where you won't find them easily.”

“Alright.” Alex moved his hands to his lap, “You have no idea how much I felt scared after what happened to you, falling ill so quickly. And my nightmare, hurting you...it all made me hate myself again. I wanted to leave you behind to keep you safe, but I couldn't because I knew I couldn't and Doc helped me realize I couldn't, and it's not just because I was being selfish.” Alex closed his eyes, afraid of the response he would get, “If I left again, with only an explanation of protecting you, would you hate me again? Would you hate me more than ever and not want to see me again?”

“...I wouldn't hate you.” Alex's eyes flew open and he was taken into a hug, “I'd be disappointed, but I wouldn't hate you. My heart would be broken all over again, but I wouldn't hate you. No matter what happens, Alex, I'll never hate you. I may not like what you do or what you get into, but I'll never hate you because I'll always love you. Hate can't conquer love, as cheesy as it sounds.”

“Thanks, Doyle.” Alex hugged back before pulling away again, “We also know what made you sick.” The blond then explained the concept of soulstones to the redhead, as he had learned from Drew, and soon enough all was silent again.

“So this,” Doyle suddenly spoke, pulling up his shirt to reveal the bandages, “was caused by my soulstone gaining a scratch?”

“As we understand it, yes.”

“So they can do anything to me.” Doyle looked back up to Alex, “What about you? Has anything happened to you yet?”

“Except hurting myself, no.” Alex shook his head, “Honestly, I don't think they'll do anything to me. Right now, all they want is revenge on the Saturdays for what happened to Zak Monday. The only way they could really do that is to hurt you, not me. I don't mean anything to your sister, your brother-in-law, or really anyone here except you, so the most I could be to them is just a toy to play with when they get bored. But you're their main target. I would have gone after them already if it hadn't occurred to me that my Anti-Matter double could come out and wreak havoc here. Plus, the mirror's been moved.”

“Moved? Where?”

“To Italy. Venice, to be exact. I've already told Doc and Drew, but first you have to get up to full strength and we need to find Zak before we can go.”

“So Zak's not here? Figures.” Doyle crossed his arms, “Did he know? The cryptids didn't, but did Zak know what happened to me?”

“No.”

“Good. I don't want to worry him.”

“He wouldn't have been worried too much anyway. I may not know him as well as you do, but he's tougher than you think, like I told you before. He's not a kid anymore, Doyle, he's seen and been through things.”

“That doesn't mean we can't protect him, though. And he's not been through everything. You and I, even Doc and Drew have been through things Zak doesn't need to see, let alone know.” Doyle gave him a pleading look, “Just promise me that you'll protect him if something happens and no one else can do it, okay?”

“You don't have to ask, Doyle, I'd do it regardless.” Alex got off the bed, “Now you should rest, I can tell you're still pretty weak after all that.”

“Yeah, I know.” Alex helped him settle down again as he added, “I just wonder what my soulstone went through to make me so sick, though.”

“Don't know, but when you're well again, even though we need to get to the Mondays, I'm gonna give you a treat. Got it?”

“Yeah yeah...” Doyle smiled as Alex made sure he was comfy again before waving goodbye. Just as Alex completely left the room, it occurred to Doyle that he still hadn't asked about Scorpia, as he had promised to the day before. Next time he saw Alex and they were alone, he would ask. He needed to know what Alex had gone through and it would help repair their trust in one another, or at least his trust in Alex. He knew that asking about such a big subject might be tough, but he knew he had to know if Scorpia ever raised their heads again, which he was certain they would soon enough.


	19. Date Night

Doyle was glad things were going back to normal now (at least somewhat). Zak returned a few minutes later and was promptly chewed out by his parents (yet he took it in stride, which was very weird for him, as he usually tried to drag his cryptids siblings into it as well) while Alex stayed with Doyle. The redhead was also glad to hear that Drew had tried to make amends with Alex and, to occupy him, the blond had brought the puzzle box for Doyle to solve/play with. The Blackwell brother wouldn't be able to go back to his room, as Drew wanted to hold him overnight to make sure there were no side effects and to let his wrist heal. As it was, his hurt wrist was also making it very hard for him to solve the box.

“Please help me.”

“No.”

“At least tell me what's inside it!”

“No.”

“Alex!”

“No.” In retaliation, Doyle threw the box at Alex, only for the spy to catch it without looking and to put it on the table beside the bed.

“D*mn you and your lightning reflexes.” Doyle huffed, crossing his arms, before Alex's phone began to vibrate and he took it out, “Wait, I take it back if it means you won't answer that call!” Alex checked the ID and glowered.

“I wish I could, but it's business.” Alex answered it, “Rider. ...No, Jones. I don't care if it's of national importance, I want to stay out of it this time...Can't you send someone else? I'm not a kid anymore, you've lost that advantage.” Suddenly Alex froze, “Strange creatures? Like, cryptids or something? Then why call me about it?..So, for once in your life, you don't know anyone who can deal with cryptids. Listen, I know someone who can do a much better job than I can, call them instead for help on this...I promise these guys are good, Jones. They're called the Saturdays and they deal with cryptids on a daily basis. You can find their phone number easily without me, so goodbye!” He jabbed his finger on the end button and gave an angry sigh.

“Cryptids, huh?” Doyle asked, for once not feeling too torn up about the mission.

“Yeah, a few seem to have infested MI6 headquarters and Mrs. Jones wants me to find out why. But your sister and brother-in-law are much better at that than me. So, here's what I'm thinking: if it's not too much trouble, the Saturdays go on their own while you and I stay here, maybe go out for a bit.”

“You sure that's a good idea?” Alex nodded.

“They can always call if they need help. Besides, I want to do everything I can to repair our relationship and I don't want to do it here, where your family can keep an eye on us. It would be embarrassing, wouldn't it?”

“You've got a point there.” Doyle leaned on one of his hands, “So what, are you asking me out on a date?” Alex smiled.

“Only if you think of it that way.”

* * *

The Saturdays agreed to the terms and would leave soon to get a head-start, even though it was late. Drew was with Doyle, making a last minute check of him while Alex and Zak talked.

“This time you'll be the one protecting Doyle if something happens, right?” asked the dark-skinned child, “And you won't let him get hurt?”

“Of course not.” Alex gently ruffled Zak's hair, “I'd do anything for him. You too.”

“I don't need protecting!” Zak brandished the Claw, “I can fight and I've sort of got my Kur powers back! I can-!” Zak suddenly paused, “Hey, if I have my Kur powers back, then doesn't that mean Zak Monday has them, too? If he's alive like you think he is?”

“Probably, which means we need to be careful when we see him.” Alex knelt down to add in a whisper, “We need to find him, too, so that it might help end the grudge between the Mondays and you guys. If they see that their son is still alive and that we helped get him home safe, then maybe they'll change their minds about you.”

“Good idea.” Zak agreed, then spoke louder, “And what are you guys gonna be doing while we're gone?”

“Don't ask him about that!” Drew chided, “They need time to themselves, Zak, so that maybe they can get along again.”

“But don't they already do that?”

“What she means, Miniman, is that you need to give us some privacy so that we can go on a date.” Doyle said, “Or at least, that's what I got from Alex.”

“Ew!” Zak stuck out his tongue in disgust as Doyle chuckled and Alex shook his head. Drew also gave Doyle a gentle smack to the head, causing him to ask, “What did I do?!”

“Now, both of you don't get into too much, okay?” Drew crossed her arms, “I may be 40, but I know what mischief you can get into.” She gave the two of them a playful glare before ushering Zak out of Medical Bay, leaving the two men alone.

“Does she really think we'd go straight to the sex?” Alex took the empty chair beside Doyle, “We're in love, not horny.”

“Mm...” Doyle became a bit subdued at the remark, causing Alex to look at him. At first the spy was confused, but then recognition hit.

“Oh, right, sorry...”

“No, it's okay. Honestly, we need to talk about what happened between us, maybe that'll help us a bit.” Doyle said, “So, the night of my birthday, you gave me my 'present' and then we slept. Then you got the call from MI6. How did they manage to make you leave that time, anyway?”

“Let's skip that part.” Alex looked away, “I'm not ready to talk about it yet.” Doyle frowned.

“Alright, I'll let it slide this time, but answer everything else I ask you. So, because of what they called you about, you were gone for two weeks and I had to stay at the apartment, hiding with your laptop projection and stuff. I left that last day because the guys came knocking again and there was no way I could explain to them that you weren't there without them knowing something was up, so I used my gloves and boots to escape the building, climb down to the floor, and then I got myself a new haircut.” Doyle pointed to his hair, “I would have done it myself but I wanted a professional job and I've kept it this way since. Also helps that I took a good amount of cash with me to help out, sorry about that.”

“Doesn't matter now. And did you ever finish your education?” asked Alex, “I mean, you didn't have a computer, did you?”

“I took yours so that the bad guys wouldn't get it, but then I destroyed it when I had the chance. I managed to finish my education in those 2 weeks, but having a high school ed. didn't really get me anywhere.” Doyle looked at the blond, “What about you? What did you do?”

“You'd left a few hours before I got back, so I wanted to go look for you, but the FBI wouldn't let me. The trafficking ring had gotten onto us thanks to you running away, so we had to close in on them quickly. We managed to get everyone and end the ring, but that took another few days. And when I tried to track you down, I mostly got nowhere.” Alex gave the redhead an appreciative smile, “Seems I taught you _too_ well, huh?”

“Yeah, but I fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book.” admitted Doyle, “Van Rook bugged my helmet and I didn't realize it until Drew and I found each other again.”

“Everyone makes stupid mistakes.” Alex reassured, “It's not that bad.” Doyle snorted.

“Says you. Anyway, over the years, with my poor education, I got a few odd jobs all over the place.” Doyle saddened, “Mainly one I don't want to talk about.”

“You don't have to. After all, you said I could skip one question as long as I answered everything else.”

“Touché.” Doyle nodded, resting a hand on the splint around his healing wrist, “Bringing all of this up again, after so long... You have no idea how many memories are flooding my head right now, both good and bad. I really miss what we had, but I still can't trust you. I want to, I f*cking want to, but you haven't given me enough trust for that. You have your missions, even if you stayed behind this time, you left again earlier-” Doyle sighed, “Nothing keeps you here, not even me. You can go and never come back.”

“But I don't because I love you. I feel like I should go to save you, to spare you from everything that hates me, but I can't because then I'd make things worse. Your brother-in-law, of all people, helped me realize that, like I told you before.” Alex clenched his hands, “I'm not leaving this time. I want to promise you that, even though we both know I might not be able to keep it.”

“Well, it doesn't really matter. Everyone leaves eventually.” Doyle felt tears come to his eyes, “Even parents.” Alex reached out to grab Doyle's hand gently as the other cried. He squeezed, telling Doyle without a word that he wasn't alone. Alex knew what it was like to live on and not know your parents except from other people, he had lived most of his life like that. He didn't really know how hard it was to grow up alone like Doyle, but he knew it had to have been tough. And the only father figure Doyle had ever had was dead, too. Now Alex certainly knew how it felt to lose a loved one like that, he knew because of Jack.

“Look,” Alex stood up but kept his grip on Doyle, “I'm going to get us something to eat, okay? This is a date after all.”

“Yeah.” Doyle slipped his hand away, “I'll be here if you need me.” Alex hesitated a moment and looked at Doyle, observing the redhead's depressed face. Though the tears were gone, there was definite sadness there.

“Just know, Doyle, that they love you, no matter what.” he said softly, “It took me a long time to come to terms that my parents must still love me, even after all I've done. I'm a killer, a spy just like my father and my uncle, but I'm still their little boy. If they love me no matter what, then your parents should do the same to you.” Alex reached over to stroke a hand through Doyle's red hair, “And even if you think they don't, you know I love you, right?”

“Of course I do.” The ex-mercenary reached up and grabbed the blond's hand, moving it away from his head, “Just go and get food. When you back, I want to ask you about something.”

“Like what?”

“Scorpia.” Doyle's eyes now had a new hardness to them as he looked at Alex, a resolve to learn the truth, “I'm not taking no for an answer.”

“...Fine.” the spy nodded, “You deserve to know and I promised to tell you, didn't I? I'll tell you everything after you get something to eat.” Alex got the sudden urge to kiss Doyle, to assure him that all was okay, but he restrained himself by biting his lip and turning away. Doyle didn't need him so close, they weren't back to that point yet, they weren't even boyfriends. Doyle wouldn't like it if Alex suddenly kissed him, the spy was sure.

But was he ever wrong, as Doyle desperately wanted something to comfort him, something more than a hug. He himself had wanted to make a move, to kiss Alex, but Alex might not have wanted it. Doyle wasn't going to invade Alex's personal space just for comfort, he knew Alex's boundaries and how dangerous the blond could be when he wasn't expecting something. But the memory of his parents had given him great sadness, he needed some sort of comfort, any kind would do. Maybe Alex wouldn't mind a bit of hugging or cuddling...

* * *

_**“** **I wouldn't have told Jones about you guys if I didn't think you could handle it, but be careful.” Alex warned as the Saturdays prepared for their trip, “MI6 are not good people. They will deceive, lie, cheat, and do anything needed to make ends meet. So, if I were you, I would leave the cryptids at home where MI6 won't know you have some with you. It's bad enough they might be planning to use cryptids themselves, now that they know they exist, and now that they know you all exist, they could use blackmail or something to make you guys do what they needed, just like they did to me.”** _

Alex's words continued to echo in Doc's mind as they flew on, Zak asleep in one of the chairs. They didn't have much more time until they reached England, where there was cryptid trouble at MI6's headquarters, and they had taken Alex's advice to a point. The cryptids were with them but would stay inside the airship and out of sight just in case and Doc was double-checking all the cyber-security measures for not only on the airship but at home, if MI6 happened to try hacking into their databases.

“Alex mentioned not getting us involved, just in case connections were drawn between us and him, especially for Doyle.” Doc spoke quietly as the airship hummed on, “He warned us about the dangers we might face. I'm starting to wonder if this is such a good idea.”

“If they didn't call us on Alex's suggestion, then they would have called him back and forced him to help deal with a problem he didn't know how to solve.” Drew added, “Even though this is dangerous, it at least keeps Doyle and Alex together.”

“So, are you and Alex friends now?”

“Sort of. We're not enemies at least, so I think we're getting there.” Drew glanced at the chair where Zak was curled up with his cryptid brothers around him, Komodo asleep while Fisk kept watch, even though there was no danger, “But was it a good idea to bring Zak along? I don't want our boy caught up in this.” Fisk muttered a bit and nodded, to which Drew said, “Fiskerton's right, Zak's not really cut out for stuff like this, all the deadly secrets and such. Regular secrets he can handle, but this?” Drew shook her head, “We should have kept him grounded back home with Doyle and Alex.” Doc raised an eyebrow.

“Then why did you bring him along?”

“Maybe because I wanted to give Alex a show of good faith and leave him alone with Doyle.”

“He wouldn't have minded taking care of Zak, though. He loves our boy as much as Doyle does, I think, so he'd never let anything happen to Zak.”

“But we've known him for a little over two weeks, that's not something to really measure by.” Drew checked the navigation system, “And it looks like we're almost there. We'll land in London at one of the less busy airports, like Luton, and then make our way from there to MI6's headquarters.” Drew checked the paper Alex had given them, as Mrs. Jones hadn't given an address, mentioning that she supposed they knew where to go, “The Royal & General Bank is where we're going, apparently. We need to mention who we are and that we need to see Mrs. Jones, which should get us to where we need to be.”

“Unless they catch up to us first.” said Doc, “And there! Everything's encrypted, even the Cryptipedia.”

“Good.” Without taking her eyes off the skies, Drew leaned over and poked Fisk, who in turn poked his brothers awake.

“Ah...” Zak rubbed his eyes, “Are we there yet?”

“Pretty much.” Doc affirmed, “Komodo, Fisk, both of you need to move deeper into the airship so that no one will see you, okay?” Komodo and Fisk voiced their agreements before moving away, the doors hissing open and shut as they disappeared into the bowels of the ship. Zak straightened up and looked out the windows, at the foggy night sky and the blurry lights below.

“Wow.” he voiced softly, “It's like looking at Kumari Kandam all over again.”

“Well, London _is_ famous for its fog, which is not to be confused with smog.” Doc admitted, “Do you need any help landing, Drew?”

“Maybe, I don't trust this weather. Foggy nights aren't exactly the best time to land an airship that suns on solar power.” As Drew and Doc continued back and forth about how to land, Zak thought back to the results of the meeting with his friends. Wadi and Ulraj had promised to keep Francis' clone origins a secret, as well as the meeting, and now they all knew about Alex to an extent. Zak had thoughts on why Alex wanted to help Francis, and though he had explained them to his friends, he still wasn't sure if he was right. Alex mentioned he wanted to help Francis, that was certain, but what was he helping Francis with? Was he trying to help free Francis from the grip of the Gray Men? If so, why? Was Alex doing it out of the goodness of his heart or for something bigger, something Zak hadn't thought of yet? It was probably the latter, but Zak wished he knew what it was. Besides that, Francis had gone back in a much more somber mood than when he had arrived, knowing he would get punished for his actions of leaving without a clue or trace, but at least he and Zak could still communicate. They knew who Julius was, too, and Zak had shared it with his cryptid siblings. There was the conflict of both wanting to save Francis and threatening his life, too, not to mention Doyle's. Francis seemed to have the same importance to the Gray Men as Doyle did to Alex, so what was going on? What was the whole thing centered around Francis? Zak needed to know and he knew that, after this adventure, he would call Francis up and they would have a _long_ chat. Zak also wasn't going to take no for an answer.

As Zak looked up from his thinking to see that his parents were landing the ship at last, he was sort of glad they were still treating him like a child. The videos of what happened to Alex and the knowledge that Scorpia was willing to kill any that stood in their way of revenge... It sent shivers down Zak's spine. He had faced off with terrible things, but he knew he wasn't ready for the world Alex faced. In fact, if he could, he just wanted to stay away from it all and be normal. He had had enough adventure for a lifetime in his own adventures alone, and Alex's enemies were really giving him a bad taste about the whole thing. He still loved adventure, of course, but the real world and its dangers were catching up. And they weren't nice.

“From the description MI6 gave us of their troubles,” Doc's voice brought Zak back to the present, the Cryptipedia flashing through various cryptids on-screen, “it seems they're having troubles with a Garta or two, which is strange. I remember that some of the British government supposedly caught some of them to study.”

“Maybe they broke out?” Zak mentioned, “Besides the big claws, they've got that weird sound thing going on too.”

“Sonic pulses that help them detect their surroundings, they do have that. It's also a defense for when they're cornered.” Drew said, “If it's only a few, then shouldn't MI6 have been able to handle it? Or just bring in their military? There's probably more to this than they let on.”

“Alex might have figured this out, too, before he told them to call us.” Doc frowned, as did Drew, “That was probably why he warned us, specifically about our own cryptids. I don't like this, Drew, we should head back and cancel this meeting.”

“Just like the Gray Men, trying to deceive us...” Drew muttered, “But it looks like we won't be able to leave until morning, the solar engine is almost out of power and there's not much back-up left.”

“Which means we'll have to deal with whatever MI6 throws at us, huh?” Zak said uneasily, gripping the Claw tightly.

“Only us, not you.” Doc said, both parents turning to look at their son, “With this possibly being some sort of trap, you're staying here on the airship until we say otherwise.”

“What?!” Zak cried. He had wanted to stay out of the way of adventure, sure, but let his parents go on their own into possible danger? “No way! I'm coming too!”

“No you're not.” Drew firmly stated, glaring at her son, “We have no idea why MI6 asked us to come here, and if you use your powers in front of them, it might put you in danger. The Claw is also staying behind if you do get off the ship, as we don't want MI6 getting any ideas on that, either.”

“Aw man!” Zak whined, “So I'm just going to be staying in here all night?”

“Yes, and since it's past your bedtime, get some sleep.” Doc and Drew unbuckled themselves and began to leave the Navigation Room, giving Zak hugs and kisses as they passed.

“Stay put.” Drew warned, “MI6 are probably watching the airship as we speak, so if you come after us, they might see you as a threat.” With that, the two older Saturdays were gone. Zak crossed his arms, frustrated. Now he certainly wanted to go on the same mission as his parents, even though he knew the dangers. Was this how Alex felt sometimes, attracted to the danger even though he didn't want to be? Was this one of the reasons he couldn't leave spying? Zak, for all of his little knowledge on his uncle's lover, was sure this was true to an extent. Tuning his head to look out at the foggy runway, Zak was sure that someone was watching him even though he saw no one, and knew he had to follow his parents' orders this time. MI6 were not the kind of people to joke around with...

* * *

“What do you want to know first?” Alex asked as he sat down with a tray of food, of which there was toast, soup, apples, and so on. Doyle took an apple as he went on.

“I know they're an evil organization that has a grudge on you and why they have a grudge on you, but I'm sure there's more to it, more than you were willing to tell us when you told Drew, Doc, Zak, the cryptids, and I the first time.”

“Well, you're not wrong.”

“What else is there about them that you didn't tell us?”

“Plenty. But like I said before, what do you want to know first?” Doyle shrugged, taking a bite of his apple.

“You tell me.” he said once he had swallowed. Alex was silent as he thought back over what he should begin with first. Doyle kept an eye on Alex, waiting for a response as he ate, soon realizing that he was hungrier than he had thought.

“...Let's start with my parents.” Alex began, “You know how they died, as I told you, but you don't know the full story. My dad, John Rider, was a double-agent for MI6 and was their best agent. They used him to infiltrate Scorpia and in turn, he became one of the best instructors. One of the top executives at Scorpia, Julia Rothman, also fell in love with him, but he was already in love with my mother at the time. He wanted to get out when he heard that I was going to be born and MI6 staged a ruse to help him. It worked, but only for so long. Eventually Scorpia found out and sent my godfather, Ash, to place the bomb on the plane.”

“If he's your godfather, why did he turn on John and kill him?”

“Because of an incident a while before this. Originally Ash was a good guy, but during a fight in Malta, John's trainee at the time, Yassen Gregorovich, was there and turned the tables on things. He hurt Ash with a wound to his side and stomach that hurt him so badly that he had to take medication continuously to help numb the pain. He wanted revenge for this, so he joined Scorpia and placed the bomb.”

“Why did he kill your dad instead of Yassen, then?”

“He wasn't aiming for revenge, really, more of jealous to John than anything, though it might have also been some revenge at MI6 for demoting him after the disastrous mission. And I guess Scorpia thought it would be fun to assign him the deaths of my parents, to show his loyalty to them after they got betrayed by my dad.” Alex's voice had grown cold as he had spoke and, even as he now shrugged, Doyle knew there was no warmth to it, “After that, my uncle and my housekeeper raised me, as you know. Scorpia didn't make another appearance until my first mission after my uncle's death, where I crossed paths with Yassen. I didn't know anything about Scorpia at the time or who he was until my fourth mission, where he told me he knew my father. As he lay dying, he told me to go to Venice, to find Scorpia and to learn the truth, I guess.” Alex shook his head, “It was a disaster, but I did learn a bit more about my parents because of it. I also stopped all the kids in London from dying as well as myself, so that was also a bonus.”

“So you joined Scorpia for a time?”

“Not long, but yeah, I did. I learned a bit under them until they sent me to try and kill Mrs. Jones. From there, after I got caught, I was made into a double-agent just like my dad and I foiled Scorpia's plans.” Alex raised his shirt to reveal the bullet scar, “That's when I got this, too.” Doyle ghosted a hand over the old wound, feeling his heart ache at the sight.

“You barely survived it, I remember when you told me. Scorpia never forgets, Scorpia never forgives, that was the motto you told me they used.” Doyle met Alex's eyes, “Does it still hurt, even now? I mean, you told me it did before, but-?”

“It does.” Alex nodded, “But only if I do too much, like before.” the blond tugged his shirt down, “After that, on my seventh mission, I learned of my godfather and what he had done before he was killed. I felt no remorse for it, even though I wasn't the one who pulled the trigger. After that, I only faced Scorpia one more time, and that was also when they caused the death of Jack.”

“You said they detonated a car bomb.” Alex nodded.

“But after that, I killed them both. Or at least one of them. I just let the other die after what they did, Razim and Julius. Razim had led the operation while Julius was his dragon, but Julius was the one I wanted to see death the most. He was the one who pushed the button that killed Jack.” Alex cold facade was only broken now by the tears that leaked from his eyes; even now it still hurt to talk about it, “After that, I just went home and kept working with MI6, trying to get my mind off things, and I never heard from Scorpia again until now.” Alex flinched when he felt someone touching his face, finding that it was Doyle. The redhead had his hand resting on Alex's cheek as he rubbed tears away with his thumb.

“She meant the world to you, I can see that without you needing to tell me.” he said, “She was your best friend until I came along, and sometimes that makes me wonder if all your affection for me is just the affection you wanted to give Jack. I know I can never replace her, no way, but sometimes it just makes me wonder.”

“Maybe it's because I have a thing for redheads.” Alex tried to smile, but there wasn't much to it. Doyle tugged the other into his arms to help comfort him, using his good hand to slide the tray onto the bedside table so there wouldn't be a potential mess to deal with. He then took one of Alex's hands and moved it to his head so that the blond could be stroking his red hair. Alex smiled wider and now there was definitely mirth to it.

“I wish you had long hair again.” he teased as he brushed a hand through Doyle's soft hair, “I miss tucking it behind your ear when it got in the way or when I whispered something to you.”

“I miss when it was long enough to tug in the back.” Doyle added, “Had to break the nervous habit after I realized I couldn't keep tugging because it was too short. I went to running my hands through it when I get nervous now.”

“Yet I've rarely seen you do it. Why?” Doyle shrugged.

“How should I know? Maybe because of you?”

“Maybe.” Alex agreed as he continued to comb Doyle's hair with his fingers, “But to me, you look so weird having this hairstyle. I always saw you as the guy with the long red hair I sometimes had to comb out. Guess I'll never get to do that again, huh?”

“Maybe you will, someday, if I want to go back to that hairstyle. But for right now, the mullet-mohawk thing is working just fine for me.” he frowned, “I'm kind of sad you don't like it, though.”

“Well, it's not my choice to make you go back to the old style. In fact, this one seems to suit you better these days, with the whole 'rebellious uncle' thing you've got going on.” Alex gave a small hum, “I didn't comment on it at first because we were still trying to understand why the other was there and just reconcile. But now that we had a chance to be alone together, I thought this might be the best time to mention it. Either that or never mention it at all, but I know how you can see through me when I've got something on my mind. You'd ask eventually if I liked your new hair and then we'd just talk about this. Best to speak of it sooner than later, then.” Doyle gave a small chuckle.

“You were always the guy who wanted to tell people the truth as soon as you knew it was safe to tell. You can keep secrets, but you also love learning things and just sharing it with the people you trust most. Except, y'know, when it's detrimental to your health.”

“Ooh, a big word! Have you been practicing for me?” Doyle have Alex a gentle slap to the arm and jerked his head away from Alex's hand, wary of his strength. Alex in turn rubbed the spot in mock-injury, smiling widely at Doyle.

“Knock it off, you loafer.”

“As if you could keep _this_ face away, love.” Doyle hit him again as they laughed, settling down just to stare lovingly at one another.

“...It's been a long time since I did this with anyone.” Doyle muttered after a while, quietly and gently, as if the slightest raise of sound would break the atmosphere that surrounded them, “What about you?”

“Same.” Alex closed his eyes, “We should have date nights more often, if this is how they turn out.” The redhead closed his eyes as well.

“I wouldn't mind. And maybe we can work up to being boyfriends again with these.”

“Maybe.” the blond said, but his voice wasn't as full of confidence as Doyle's was. The ex-mercenary was tempted to open his eyes and take a look to see if Alex's face had changed just like his voice, but he paused from doing so when the spy rested a hand on Doyle's side. He added, “Get some sleep so your injury heals.” and Doyle gave no argument, as the antics of earlier had worn him out a bit. He now knew of Scorpia and their deep history with his ex-lover, which had been a big step for Alex, and it was helping their damaged relationship get better. Doyle was tempted to forgive him, but not just yet. He had a sense that there was still a trial or two they had to face before the redhead could once again accept Alex, but only time would tell what they would be.

Doyle just hoped they wouldn't be too bad and was sure just thinking this was going to make him eat his words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Gartas are cryptids seen in both the show and Beasts of the 5th Sun, mainly the second. Basically, they look like giant badgers but are actually bears and they have a sonic attack in the game.


	20. If I Knew How To Lie

_“I'm back.” Alex announced after closing the door. Doyle, who had been taking a nap on the couch, woke up at the sound of the door closing and sleepily rubbed at his eyes. A few months had passed since Alex had taken him in and it was getting close to Christmas. Halloween hadn't really happened except for the dressing up part and Thanksgiving had been the best Doyle had ever had, seeing as he had never had the holiday with anyone else before. Not to mention the food was a glutton's dream and tasted wonderful (at least to him). He looked up to see Alex pass by the back of the couch as he took off his coat and scarf, both of which were touched with flakes of snow, as was Alex's hair. The blond had grabbed a hand-towel from the kitchen and tousled his hair, getting the snow out, and the clothes were being returned to wherever they had been hung up in Alex's room. The only outside pieces of clothing Alex didn't take off were his black leather gloves, where dark wool poked out at the ends to indicate they were insulated. The spy's cheeks were bright pink, almost a red, and he was rubbing his hands together to gather warmth._

_“It's freezing out there, huh?” Doyle yawned._

_“Like you wouldn't believe. And I thought England's winters were bad. Did you check the mail while I was gone?”_

_“Yep.” Doyle gestured to the coffee table in front of the couch, “Haven't checked them, really, but I think there's an invitation in there to a ball.” Alex poked his head out of his room, raising an eyebrow._

_“Really now?” he came out and went over to the table as Doyle sat up. Alex picked up the letters and began to ruffle through them, though his gloves seemed to be a bit cumbersome to him. Eventually he found the letter that Doyle had mentioned, off-white with fancy green lettering. He checked the address and gave a snort before tossing it to the side and looking at the rest of the mail. Doyle caught the fancy letter and gave Alex a look._

_“Aren't you going to open this at least?”_

_“You can if you want, but I'm not going. Neither are you, for that matter.”_

_“Why not?”_

_“Check the address.” said Alex, “It's from the Marcos family, the ones that lead that trafficking ring we're investigating.” Doyle instantly dropped the letter as if Alex had said it was diseased. He glared at it and if looks could kill, the letter would have burned up in seconds._

_“You're right.” he spat, crushing it under his foot, “Better to just toss it in the trash.”_

_“Mm...” After looking through the rest of the mail, Alex suddenly reached over and tugged the fancy letter back, leaving Doyle confused._

_“What are you doing? Didn't you say we're not going?”_

_“Something occurred to me.” spoke the older man as he opened the now-crinkled letter, “George Marcos—the guy that's at the head of this thing—might have sent this to all his clients as another way to check on them. If I don't come with you, he might get wise to us.” Doyle's hands curled into fists._

_“If you think I'm going to go to that gala-” Alex held up a hand for silence as he read. As he got to the end, he sighed._

_“Just as I thought. It's concealed, but I can see the threat in here.” he pointed to a passage in the letter, “If both of us don't go, he'll know something's up. In fact, he's sending a limo to pick us up the 24th for the ball.”_

_“Christmas Eve.” Doyle said bitterly, “Presents for everyone except the prostitutes sold into slavery.”_

_“Looks like I'll need to get you a tux.”_

_“You're not serious?!” Doyle gave a snarl, “I'm_ not _going to that thing! I'm not giving him the satisfaction of letting him see me so weak!”_

_“You're not weak. And if you don't, he's not going to run this time.” Alex tapped a finger on his leg as he showed Doyle the letter, “It seems the holidays have him in high spirits, because he'll take you away from me if we only one of us goes or neither.”_

_“What?! Can he_ do _that?!” Alex gave a grim nod._

_“It's a part of the contract I signed. If I'm not happy with you or I don't accept any invitation, he'll take my 'prostitute' away and I'll have to buy a new one.” Alex shook his head, “Disgusting, but at least he's able to keep an eye on his clients this way. Smart.”_

_“I still can't go.” Doyle crossed his arms. Alex glanced at him from the corner of his eye._

_“What's your deal about this? You want them gone as much as anyone else, but there's something about this that's bothering you. What is it?” Doyle blushed and turned his head away._

_“Nothing!”_

_“Oh, it's certainly something now.” Alex turned to Doyle, “Are you afraid you'll embarrass yourself for some reason or something?” His eyes lit up in realization, “You're afraid because it's a ball and you don't know how to waltz,” Doyle made a sound similar to a drowning cat and Alex was sure he had gotten it right, “That's it, isn't it? You don't want anyone to know you can't dance like a fancy person!”_

_“N-no I don't!” Doyle curled into himself a bit and Alex softened, knowing now was not the time to take a jab at Doyle. Instead, he stood up and went into his room, soon coming out with a CD player. Hooking it up to a small speaker, he went back to the couch and held out a hand. The redhead stared at Alex as if he was crazy._

_“We've got a week.” pointed out the blond, “I can teach you how to waltz and dance like the highest elite if you'll give me a chance.”_

_“Can you even dance like that yourself?”_

_“I've had to learn for a mission or two.” Alex gave Doyle a charming smile, “Just trust me on this, okay?” Doyle glanced between Alex and his hand a few times before slowly grabbing the hand, where Alex helped him stand. Doyle's face was still red from blushing, darker that Alex's still cold, pink-stained cheeks, and the spy couldn't help but give a small laugh at this. Doyle, however, was not amused._

_“What's so funny?!”_

_“Nothing.” Alex guided him to an empty space near the CD player, “Okay, now there are several positions we could try and see which one is best for us, seeing as you're taller and so much bigger than me. Because of this, you'll be the leader.” The redhead made another sound like a drowning cat except smaller, now sounding like an out-of-tune canary, showing his absolute displeasure at it._

_“No way.” he shook his head and moved away from Alex, “No no no, I can't do this.”_

_“It's just a dance.”_

_“No, it's not.” Doyle tugged on the back of his long hair, a nervous habit he had developed young, “You don't understand, this is making me_ really _uncomfortable. I mean, we don't even have those foot guide things to practice with and this is in a week! I'm going to be dancing among the people I hate, acting like the perfect little servant, and I can't do it!” Doyle wanted to flee into his room at the moment, he was not a fancy dancer, he was not made for dinners and balls and galas. But, just as he was about to run off, some sort of sense seemed to alert him to a sudden danger, where he reached his hand out and plucked a pen from the air, a pen that had been thrown at his face by Alex. The spy was frowning at Doyle, looking either unamused or disappointed and he had a hand on his hip._

_“Look at what you just did.” Alex pointed to the pen in Doyle's hand, “You managed to do that because of both your own instincts and my teachings. If I can give you the ability to do that, then I can help you make your way through a single Christmas ball without disaster. You will need to put your own effort into this, though, to make it work. If you can catch a pen flying at you at about 40 mph, then you can set aside your fears and learn how to dance. Is that clear or do I need to slap some sense into you?” The redhead was quiet as he toyed with the pen in his hand. Alex had been right, at one time Doyle wouldn't have been able to catch such a small, speedy object, but after the spy had helped him learn how to defend himself a bit more, he had caught the pen without another thought. And, though it was clicked down and sheathed, Doyle was sure the pen still would have hurt and maybe even bruised if it had hit. Alex was a sharp shot, Doyle knew from playing darts with him, and the blond would have made sure it had hurt enough the bruise if just to get Doyle's attention again._

_“I get it, you need me for this ball so that you can continue to keep an eye on this Marcos guy.” Doyle began quietly, “But you have no idea of the real reason why I don't want to learn how to dance fancy.” Doyle closed his eyes, “When I was just a kid, there was this cute girl I wanted to impress, one of the street that I knew. She was cute and I wanted her to like we, so I tried to learn how to dance fancy, y'know? But it didn't work out too well because I didn't have too many ways to learn, so I switched over to normal dancing to impress her. By the time I got good enough to where I thought she would like it, she already liked another guy and was dating him. I gave up completely on fancy dancing after that and I never wanted to do it again.”_

_“Just because you had one bad experience doesn't mean you should stop trying to learn it, even if it was to impress a girl. I mean, you kept getting better at normal dancing, didn't you? You've beaten me a few times at_ Just Dance _, despite my agility.” Doyle opened his eyes to see Alex still standing where he was before, but now his arms were crossed and he didn't look as mean as before, he now looked a little sad, “You practiced normal dancing to impress her and you kept learning more after, just like as if you were at school. Now you can do the same to fancy dancing, except now you've got a teacher.” Alex held out his hand again, “If you don't come with me, Doyle, you'll have to go back to them and I can promise you that the nest person who buys you probably won't be an agent who wants to help. I don't want you to nearly fall into that life again, so if you let me teach you, we can help each other and keep you out of that dark pit.”_

_“...Alright.” Doyle dropped the pen onto the coffee table and took Alex's hands, feeling awkward._

_“And let me guess, you were lying?” Doyle wasn't surprised at the guess._

_“How did you know?”_

_“You made up a really sappy story that sounded like it should have come out of a romance, like_ Twilight _or something. I knew it was fake, it didn't sound real at all in your context as a person, but I played along. Now, just listen to me and I'll show you how to do it.” Alex gave him a warm smile, “Trust me, Doyle, and everything is going to be fine. You don't have to be scared.” Doyle blushed again, growling._

_“I-I wasn't scared!”_

_“Sure you weren't. Now, just put your hands on my waist first and I'll put my hands around your neck, this is one of the positions we can do...” Doyle blushed even more as he followed Alex's orders, but the only half the blush was of embarrassment. In reality, Doyle was having strange feeling being this close to Alex, feelings he hadn't really given mind to before, even though he knew they had been there for s small while. The whole dancing idea was what really brought them out, though, and it was making Doyle nervous. He didn't care if he embarrassed himself in front of other people, but he did care if it was in front of Alex. He didn't want Alex to laugh at him, to think him only a joke or something. The blond had seemed ready to do that earlier, when they were on the couch, and Doyle didn't blame him. Alex beat him at pretty much everything, he knew everything, he could do anything, Alex was perfect, and Doyle was not._

_He thought he was jealous of all that Alex could do, despite the spy's generosity of sharing his knowledge with the redhead. But instead, without realizing it, Doyle was actually falling in love._

* * *

When he opened his eyes and looked to his side, his heart briefly sped up in terror as he found himself alone again ( _no one's here, where are they, I don't want to be alone again, where's Alex_ ) until Alex came in seconds later and he managed to calm down. He sat himself up and, since there were no windows, he wondered if it was morning again by now.

“I dreamed about when you taught me how to dance.” he announced after Alex was beside him again. The blond paused for a second.

“Huh. I wonder why.” Alex shook his head, “Anyway, you've only been out a few hours and the Saturdays haven't come back yet. Is that anything to worry about?”

“Not really, sometimes it takes a while to deal with a cryptid.” Doyle moved the fingers on his hurt hand and winced at the slight pain, but it felt better than before, “I kind of feel silly now that I lied to you about the dancing. You knew I was scared and I didn't know why until I looked back and found that I didn't want you to laugh at me because that was when I started to fall for you.” Doyle smiled to himself, “My younger self made so many mistakes that now, when I look back, they just seem so stupid.”

“Well, hindsight is 20/20.” Alex mused, “I put away the food for later, so if you want anymore, just ask.”

“Not right now.” Doyle closed his eyes as memories began to come to him, “Do you remember the first song we practiced with to help me with my waltzing? It wasn't a traditional song, but it sounded so soft and sweet...”

“Honestly, I don't remember what it was called either, but I remember it just the same.” he sighed, “I just wish we could dance together again.”

“Maybe if we get back together we can.” suggested Doyle.

“Maybe.” agreed Alex. Suddenly, the doors to the Medical Bay opened and Zon came in, looking worried. Both Alex and Doyle knew she hadn't been with the Saturdays when they left, she had been elsewhere, so what was worrying her? She waddled over on her feet and wings before tugging at Alex's shirt, urging him with a caw to follow her. The two men shared and glance before Doyle got up and also followed. She took them to the control room and pointed to the screens with a worried squawk, where Alex sat down and began to check all the cameras, his fingers flying across the keys with ease.

“Any idea what she could be distressed about?” Alex wondered.

“Several things, and none of them good.” Doyle pointed to one of the screens, “Like _her_.”

“It's Abbey again, isn't it?” Alex frowned, “Why's she back now? Is she going to try catching me or killing me? Because she's going to have to do a lot better than that.” The woman mercenary was calmly walking up to the impenetrable gates, as if she expected them to open before her.

“If she got in once, she can do it again, no matter what Doc's done to improve the security.” Doyle spoke, “I should know. For an important place, it doesn't have good security. As it is, come with me.” Doyle grabbed Alex's hand and tugged the spy with him as he ran out of the room and down the halls. Zon took to the air to follow them until Doyle sent her off to outside, where she could observe things better. She reluctantly did so with the memories of last time Abbey broke in on her mind. The only reason she had been left behind was that she had been out, being herself and catching a meal. She would have been out searching for a trail to the Gray Men or Julius if Zak hadn't informed her and the other cryptids of what he had learned while meeting his friends, but it was still troubling. She gave a surprised squawk when she heard an explosion and flew over the gate, seeing ti had been blown to pieces. Whatever Abbey wanted this time, she was playing for keeps!

“What the h*ll was that?!” exclaimed Doyle as the two men tried to steady themselves.

“It looks like Abbey is serious in whatever she's doing, since that felt and sounded like an explosion.” Alex gave a grimace, “I'd hate to be the contractor hired to fix _that_.”

“And that makes it even more important to get you out of here!” They began running again, though Alex stumbled slightly as he tried to process what Doyle had said.

“What?! No, not unless you're coming with me!”

“Don't you get it?” Doyle looked back at Alex, “She's either here to kill you or she wants me. Either way, I can stop her. You need to leave so that you won't get hurt.”

“Not with you in this condition, not if she can hurt you.” Alex dragged them both to a stop, Doyle leaning forward while Alex leaned the opposite way. Doyle growled and gave a tug, sending Alex stumbling forward because of his greater strength, and the redhead picked up the blond before continuing on to their mysterious destination. Alex, who had been unceremoniously thrown over Doyle's shoulder, was not happy with this turn of events but didn't dare to try and free himself, afraid of hurting Doyle further, and was only released when they reached their shared bedroom. The redhead then opened the closet and pulled out his mask and his jetpack, handing both to Alex.

“What are you doing? I'm not leaving you alone with that crazy woman!” Alex snapped as Doyle began to search under the bed, pulling out the laptop.

“Look, with the mask, she won't know who you are unless you talk. The jetpack will get you out of here and whatever you do, _don't damage the laptop_.” Seeing as Alex was refusing to put on the gear, Doyle set aside the laptop to force the items on Alex, who he had to briefly hold down to do so. After the jetpack was on after the helmet, Alex wretched it open and glared at Doyle as the redhead grabbed the laptop to offer it to Alex.

“I. Said. No.” the spy was truly angry now, letting his emotions through, “I'm not leaving you.”

“Then it's a good thing you don't know how to fly a jetpack.” Doyle thrust the laptop into Alex's arms before turning him towards the open window and closing the helmet, of which Alex briefly wondered how Doyle had gotten it open while forcing him to wear the helmet and jetpack, “I'm sorry, but this is something I have to do alone. I don't want you getting hurt and Zon can help you when you get into the air.” The ex-mercenary put a hand into Alex's pocket before pressing a button and turning on the jetpack.

 _When I get back, I'm going to murder you for this!_ was all Alex could think as he found himself flying through the air. He tightened his grip on the laptop, having noticed the tone in Doyle's voice when he had talked about it, the worry and the stressing of importance. He was distracted slightly from his thoughts as Zon squawked, flying beside him. It seemed she sensed that he didn't know how to fly, so she followed him and showed him a few movements, allowing Alex to slow down and finally stop.

“Thanks.” he sighed to her, then looked back. He had traveled far and fast in a small amount of time and wanted to go back, but he knew Doyle would send him back out and, if he went back at the wrong time, he might even endanger his lover. He couldn't risk it, even though his heart was crying out for him to go back, so he turned to Zon, wondering what to do. She saw a bulge in his pocket and nudged at it, where Alex freed an arm to get whatever was in there. He knew it had been empty before and realized that Doyle must have put something in his pocket when he put his hand there. Alex pulled out a satellite phone, one like the Saturdays used, and the spy knew that it had been given to him for some reason. Turning it on, he found it bleeping and a map of the Saturdays' home, indicating that Doyle had put a tracker on himself. Underneath the map was a small note, which said 'I'm sorry, but you need to find the other Secret Scientists. The Saturdays can't come, not after this long.' The redhead may have Leeroy Jenkins'd a lot, but this certainly was not one of those plans, and Alex felt a swell of pride for it. Opening the phone function, Alex then scrolled through the names, taking a second to open the helmet to get a better look, as he wasn't used to wearing one.

“Arthur Beeman, Paul Cheechoo...” Alex didn't know any of these names but, as he reached the bottom of the list, he saw one that seemed recognizable, “Miranda Grey, is she related to Abbey?” he asked this to Zon, who nodded, and Alex quickly began planning as he tapped her name and the phone began to buzz with a ring. It was quickly answered and the face of a red-haired woman appeared on the screen, reminding Alex a little of Jack, if not for her intimidating face. He supposed most redheaded women he would meet would remind him of Jack, but he didn't need to dwell on it, not when he had to save Doyle.

“Hello? Who is this?”

“I'm Alex, a friend of the Saturdays. I don't have much time to explain, but I need help in dealing with Abbey Grey. I assume she's your sister?” A shocked look crossed Miranda's face.

“Y-yes, my little sister, but what is she doing that you need help with?” Alex glanced past the phone, back at the Saturday house, and as he did, he accidentally tilted the phone a little, allowing Miranda to see Zon partially, confirming that he was on the Saturdays' side.

“She's after Doyle and I'm alone here with the exception of Zon. The Saturdays are dealing with a cryptid elsewhere and I don't know when they'll be back, plus Doyle's in danger right now. He sent me away after we learned that Abbey was coming to the Saturdays' house and it looks like she's being serious about the whole thing.”

“I see.” Miranda shook her head, “I know of how my sister and Doyle used to love one another, but I can't fathom why she would be after him. However, I'll do my best to help you. I'm not sure you would get the same amount of help from the other Scientists, but you might want to try. For now, follow them if she takes him somewhere and, once things have calmed down, contact me so that I can join you.”

“Are you sure about that?” Alex frowned, “I don't know what you've been through, but it'll be dangerous.” Miranda gave a grim smile.

“If I can survive Weird World, then I can certainly survive my sister. Goodbye, Alex.”

“'Bye.” The connection was cut and Alex was left alone with Zon once again. He switched the phone back to the tracking function and found that Doyle hadn't left the complex or barely even moved, so maybe he could go back and contact Miranda for help, but he wasn't sure what she could do. And he didn't even know how close she was to them, so how would she be able to help except tell Alex of her sister?

“She'll probably move him, somehow.” Alex mused as he turned off the phone, “And after she does, we'll follow and track her back to her hideout or her jet or whatever. Point is, we can't let Doyle get out of our sight, or at least the range of the phone. For now, let's land and rest and see what happens.” Zon nodded and, with a few small movements, show him how to go down and land himself. From there, as they sat in the branches of a tree, they waited, monitoring the sat phone.

* * *

Doyle left his room and went to the living room, waiting for Abbey to arrive after he sent Alex off. He knew that Abbey was holding a grudge against Alex and, judging by the way she broke in, she knew he was there and wanted him gone in any way possible, so Doyle was glad he had sent Alex away. He could only hope Alex stayed away until the time was right to save him, when Abbey was at her calmest. Better yet if Alex decided to bring Miranda into the whole thing, as Doyle knew she might be the only one who could help them take Abbey out for good.

“I see you've been waiting for me.” came a voice from behind. Doyle looked over the edge of the couch to see Abbey approach him slowly, as if expecting him to attack. She had every right to, as they had not exactly parted on good terms.

“It's not like I could do much.” Doyle said, “I left all my weapons in my room and made Alex leave so you won't get to him.” Abbey gave a growl.

“And _why_ is _that_?” she snarled.

“You know perfectly why.”

“And did he do that to you, too?” she pointed to the splint around his wrist.

“What's it to you about caring for me?” Doyle asked, “Because you certainly didn't care about me at all, especially after you revealed your skunk stripes.”

“I was trying to get Van Rook's job and after that, I wanted to make a name for myself. Then I was going to come after you and hope we could rekindle something again.” Doyle snorted.

“As if. You know I hate you, right?” Abbey clenched a fist.

“But I still have feelings for you, Doyle, so surely you still have some for me?”

“If I did, they're dead now.” Abbey opened her mask and glared at Doyle.

“Did you really love him before you loved me?” her voice wavered, “And yet you broke up with him and fell in love again. You did that to him, but not to me? Then what _am_ I to you? Was I nothing more than just a toy to throw away, something for you to play with?” Doyle gave a growl.

“If anything, it's the other way around. You played with my heart and broke it ruthlessly when I thought I could love again. It may have been a little over a year since you told me the truth, but I still hate you for what you did. I still love Alex because I slowly fell for him. For you, I was hit by your good looks and your wit, I hoped we could be something ore as we dated, but with him, I loved him as a person because I got to know him first. If anything, Abbey, maybe we were meant for one another in another life, but not here. Here, I have Alex, I sent him away so that you wouldn't hurt him. Just like how money means the world to you, he means the world to me.” As he spoke, Doyle stood up and matched Abbey's eyes, not backing down from the glare. He had been on the other end of Alex's glares before and they were worse than the one she was giving him now, “Now, tell me why you're really here, besides wanting to kill Alex. Do you want me to come with you after all that? Because it's going to take a lot more than some talking and your weapons before I leave.”

“We're not going anywhere.” Abbey jabbed at his chest, “And seeing as you don't believe how much I love you, allow me to show you.”

“As if.” Doyle knocked her hand away, “You may try to give me everything, Abbey, but there are some things Alex gave me that you could never give, so that will always place him higher in my heart than you.”

“Oh? What did he give you to get such love? Money, anything you ever wanted?” she snapped, “I bet he just bribed the love out of you or something!” It was at that that Doyle decided to show her how he was not helpless, even without his weapons. With his good hand, he flipped the couch over, nearly making it land on her, as she had managed to jump out of the way.

“NEVER SAY THAT.” Doyle bit out, angry beyond measure that she would _dare_ to say Alex had bribed him for anything, “You're the one who would bribe the love out of me, but not Alex! Alex actually loves me for who I am! You, on the other hand, aren't being respectful to my relationship with him, especially since you're _trying to kill him_ , so I have every reason to hate you. You broke my heart, you're trying to get rid of Alex, and you're trying to kidnap me right now!” Doyle closed his eyes and tried too calm himself, slowing his breaths, “Face it, Abbey: I will never love you like I do Alex and we will not be in a relationship again. It just won't work and besides, I don't love you anymore.” Abbey had tears in her eyes at this, but she closed her helmet so Doyle wouldn't see. Her fists clenched as she shook, possibly with rage or sadness, the redhead didn't know.

“If you won't love me, then I'll _make_ you love me.” Doyle opened his eyes and wondered what she meant by then when a blur crossed his vision and suddenly pain erupted in his neck. Abbey was now in his face, holding onto him as he felt something jabbing into his neck, and with her mask on, he didn't know what she was up to, but he know it wasn't good.

“I'm sorry for this, Doyle.” she said as whatever it was started to take a hold on him, causing him to grow dizzy and faint, “But I _will_ make you love me and forget Alex.” He wanted to punch her, to rage at her for doing this to him, but it was useless with his weak limbs and his eyesight going dim. He didn't know what she did to him, but he was going to get his revenge soon enough. But fear was starting to take hold, as this was reminding him of many times that had happened before, times he wanted to forget. And, as everything faded away, he only hoped this didn't end up like one of those times. He wanted Alex, he knew Alex wouldn't hurt him, but he didn't want Alex hurt. That didn't mean he didn't want Alex by his side when he woke up, protecting him from all the evil in the world.

But then again, he'd seen things he never wanted anyone to know and never wanted to go through again. Just like Alex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. After watching a few episodes, mainly Where Lies The Engulfer, I think it's safe to say that Doyle is a bad liar sometimes.


	21. Laugh At The Blood On Your Hands, Romeo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Mentions of sex and death. If this should be changed up to an M, please tell me.
> 
> The bold italics are bad memories.

_**"No, please..."** _

_**"But you've got such a beautiful body, sweetie. And you work at a place that advertises you wanting to use it. So why don't you do it now?"** _

_**"Get away from me..."** _

_**"Tsk tsk, looks like I'll have to teach you how wonderful this is the hard way." A strong hand dragged up his body, feeling him up and pushing past his shirt to touch his skin. If he could have, he would have knocked the other away, but his hands were tied, quite literally. He had no feeling for the other, nothing romantic or sexual, so why didn't they understand it?** _

_**"Just leave me alone." he pleaded, "Let me go and leave me be."** _

_**"** **B** **ut I can't do that, not if I'm going to show you how nice your body is." The hand began its descent, going lower and lower, to his pants. He tensed, his fear at its highest, and when the hand grabbed his crotch, instead of feeling wonderful and sexual like any other boy would, he lost his mind to the beast raging inside him. It defended him, breaking his bonds and attacking his seducer. There were screams that got cut short as blood painted the walls and an orange glow that seemed to color everything in candlelight. And, when the beast finally retreated, the man fled, fearing for his life and terrified of himself.** _

_**But this was going to happen again and again and he had no control over it, no way to stop it, no matter how much he tried, and it all ended the same way, with blood and death and an orange glow...** _

* * *

Doyle's eyes flashed open and he panted as he woke up, trying to sit up, but found his hands locked away. This made his fear spike and his eyes, the pupils almost drowned out in the sapphire color, flick about, trying to find a threat or anyone so that he didn't have to wake up alone again. He soon found someone, which calmed him down a little, until that calm turned to anger and fear as he realized it was Abbey, the one who had drugged him. He was still in his pajamas and she was laying beside him, having gotten rid of her jumpsuit to just wear regular clothes. Her helmet was gone too, allowing him to see her looking at him, giving him a smile when she saw he was awake.

"Nightmare?" she asked.

"Get the f*ck away from me!" Doyle snarled and thrashed, trying to free himself. They were in the guest bedroom and Abbey had literally handcuffed him to the bed. Usually his unnatural strength came in handy, but at this angle, he didn't have enough leverage to break his bonds. His legs were free, however, but he couldn't get at a good angle to kick at her.

"I'm only trying to help you see sense, Doyle."

"You drugged me!" Doyle panted, stopping his thrashing for the moment, only to find that something felt wrong about himself. He still felt a bit dizzy and lightheaded, as when she had drugged him, and sweating was coming easier to him, his skin was pale, and even as he laid still, he could feel himself twitching when he didn't want to, "What did you do to me?"

"Nothing, I only made it easier for you to like me."

"This is not the way to go about it!" Doyle snapped and resumed his struggling, only to be hit with a headache. And his sweatpants felt uncomfortable, telling him that, whatever was in his system, it was making him feel sexual, and he  _never_  felt sexual, he never wanted to, "What did you drug me with?!" Abbey sighed.

"First I had to knock you out, and then, while you were sleeping, I shot you up with some of the meth I stole from Scorpia."

"Couldn't you have done the same with Viagra instead?" Doyle asked, briefly wondering why he was discussing this with her.

"Well, it was on hand at the time and I knew what it could do, so I decided to grab some and save it for later. I was either going to sell it or use it for my own purposes."

"Which you did and on me, no less." Doyle winced as he tugged at his hurt hand, which was also handcuffed to the metal poles at the head of the bed, though still in the splint, "I'm warning you right now, Abbey, this is a bad idea in  _so_ many ways-"

"Maybe, but I want to show you that you don't need Alex, that I can be here for you!"

"By drugging me up and trying to impede my judgment? Not really working." Abbey frowned and sat up, placing a hand on Doyle's chest.

"There's something more about this that you don't like, isn't there?"

"Oh, beside the 'trying to rape me' thing? Yeah, _something else_ is bothering me."

"I'm not trying to rape you!" Abbey remarked, offended.

"Then this could be counted as sexual assault." Doyle growled as he tried to fight his bonds again, "Why did you only tie up my hands? Were you so arrogant as to leave my feet alone?"

"Well, your kicking can't hurt me as much as if I were a man."

"...Point taken." Doyle locked eyes with the woman as he talked, "Abbey, if you do this, I won't be able to control what I do. I can't explain, but if you touch  _there_ , I'll do something that I'll regret. Only one other person has managed to escape me when it happens, and I honestly don't want to hurt you. Stop now before things get worse." The mercenary woman raised an eyebrow.

"And what will you do,  _kill_ me?" she scoffed. Doyle's serious face didn't waver and caused her to falter, "You're not serious, are you?"

"Why would I lie?" he gave me a snort, "I'm not exactly the best liar in the world, anyway. That goes to Alex."

"You can't even escape your handcuffs right now, how would you be able to kill me?"

"I can and I will. Don't doubt me on this." Abbey trailed her hand up Doyle's chest, causing his fear to intensify. She leaned down and spoke only a few words into his ear that made his terror skyrocket, before she began to do more.

"I don't believe you." Because Doyle wore a sleeveless top to bed, Abbey dipped her hand below the collar to touch his chest. Doyle felt nothing except his fear now and tried to keep as still as possible, as if it would make her go away. She gave him a kiss to the cheek and then to the neck, making him grit his teeth. He wasn't trying to hold back a moan, he was only trying to keep from crying. He didn't want this, not at all. Just like everyone else, she either didn't understand or didn't care that he was not into sex like most other men, he just wanted the love of a relationship and that was that.

"It's not that bad, is it?" she whispered against his neck, "I've done this before, you know."

"I can tell." he bit out, keeping his teeth clamped. He didn't shiver as her breath ghosted over his skin because that didn't matter to him. All that mattered to him was keeping himself under control. Oh, he certainly hated Abbey more than ever right now, but he certainly didn't want her to die. He had to keep the beast in check, he just had to, otherwise this would end like ever other time except for that  _one_. And that  _one_ was the only one Doyle wished he could have killed. He didn't wish murder and death on a lot of people, but the one that got away was one of those few who Doyle thought deserved to die.

"Please, Abbey." he pleaded, "I don't want to do something I would regret, so just leave me alone, and nothing will happen." Abbey moved her hand to his stomach and dragged her finger in circles there, making him feel a bit ticklish.

"All I want to do, Doyle, is give you a good time. Let me do that."

"But if you do, I might kill you!" Doyle felt tears well up in his eyes, "I may hate you for what you're doing, but I don't want you to die! I don't want to be a killer again!" Abbey paused for a second to lean up and meet his eyes. She was frowning, as if not quite understand what he meant.

"Doyle, people don't lose control of themselves if something sexual happens to them. They might fight back, yes, but they're always in control. It's just simple logic."

"Then you've never met me."

"Just let me show you how good I am." she took her hand away and began to move it lower, towards his crotch, and his fear for her spiked.

"Abbey, wait-!" The rest of his words were lost as she grabbed his crotch, if gently, and that was enough to make the beast come out. With a roar that nearly made her deaf, Abbey scrambled to move as the bed screamed when its headboard was separated from the rest of it and nearly impaled itself on Abbey. She scrambled back as Doyle wretched the headboard out of the wall where it had stuck, still chained to it by the handcuffs, and he snarled at her. His face was contorted in rage and his eyes were different, not their natural blue but a bright orange with a glow, almost as if he was using cryptid powers like Zak. He tried to bring down the headboard on her once again and she dodged, where ti barely missed cutting her in half. As he retched it out of the floor, he seemed to be in pain and shook his head, where his eyes went back to the sapphire blue they had been before. He stared down at her and Abbey was afraid he would attack her, but all he had now was disgust in his face as he gripped the headboard.

"Just go, before I lose control again." he spat, and Abbey didn't need to be told twice. She scrambled to her feet and ran out of the room, leaving him alone. He blinked as things started to settle down again, and looked back to the bed. He winced, imagining how Drew and Doc would chew him out for breaking one of the guest beds. And it was at that moment Alex came in, startling Doyle to the point where he nearly let the beast come out again.

"Are you okay?" asked the blond, checking Doyle over. He frowned at the cuffs and took out the pen he had slipped off Ben, the one with the skeleton key, and used it to free Doyle. The redhead rubbed his wrists once they were freed, as his gloves had been taken off while he was unconscious, and he sighed as he saw that his skin had broken a bit around his wrist, causing it to bleed a little.

"I'm fine. What about-?"

"Miranda got her as she was fleeing." Alex gazed up at him, worry clear in the blond's jasper brown eyes, "What did she do to you?"

"If you're arresting her, charge her with sexual assault among other things." he said as he held his slightly bleeding wrist, "But don't tell anyone about this."

"About her apparently trying to  _rape_ you?" Alex shook his head, "I shouldn't have left you alone." Déjà vu struck the spy as he remembered Doyle's words from Abbey's first attack, but they didn't linger.

"It's okay, Alex." Doyle said, "It's...it's okay."

"No it isn't!" Alex turned to him, "How can you just  _say_ that? Nothing that she did to you was okay!"

"It didn't go too far, and you saw how scared she was. I taught her a lesson and hopefully, she'll stay away from us for now on."

"THAT DOESN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION!" Alex gripped Doyle's forearms tightly, "If there's anything she did, just tell me. I know sexual assault isn't to be messed with and you have every right to be angry at her."

"Oh, I am." Doyle drew his arms away from Alex, "I'm pissed at her, but it's all over and no one got seriously hurt. That's all that matters to me."

"..." Alex let his hands drop to his sides as he continued to start at Doyle, trying to find if the other was hiding something from him, "...We'll talk about this later, okay?"

"We don't-"

"I'm not asking, Doyle." Alex then left without another word. The redhead followed the other, not wanting to be alone, and they both headed down the hall to the living room, where Miranda and Abbey were, as well as a giant robot, who was keeping Abbey from escaping. The mercenary flinched at the sight of Doyle and turned her head away, shaking slightly, to which the man glared at her.

"I don't know what you did, but you certainly scared her half-to-death." Miranda commented, "May I ask what happened?"

"Not much. Just give her to the police."

"Alright." Miranda could see that Doyle didn't want to tell what had happened, so she turned away, "At least Deadbolt didn't get destroyed this time." But, as she took a step, Deadbolt wobbled before falling apart, and everyone froze, "...I spoke too soon, didn't I?"

"Apparently." Alex commented, picking up the head that had rolled over to him, "Maybe you should build a robot helper that doesn't cost too much to fix, let alone fall apart a lot." Miranda went over and took one of her sister's arms, sighing.

"Perhaps I should." Taking out her portal gun, she used it to rip a hole in the air, "I hope we meet again sometime, Alex."

"Maybe we will. Thanks for your help." Miranda only nodded before she and her sister disappeared into the portal, where it then closed and left the two alone with a broken robot. Alex turned to Doyle and gently took the other's hurt hand into his.

"Let's sit on the couch and talk this out, okay?" Walking through the debris, the jasper-eyed man brought the other with him and they sat together on the couch, which had been righted when Alex and Miranda arrived.

"You're not surprised by her?" Doyle asked, trying to delay the questioning. And, now that things were beginning to calm down, he noted the renewed throbbing in his side and wondered if his wound had reopened because of his thrashing.

"If I'm not surprised by the Saturdays, then I'm not surprised she can rip holes in space to go from one place to another. But we're not changing the subject. Just tell what's wrong, what she did, and I can make it better." He now held both of Doyle's hands, looking into the ex-mercenary's eyes, trying to communicate his worry and get Doyle to talk to him, to trust him, but the other was silent. At least, for a few moments.

"...You wouldn't understand, Alex."

"Oh? How would I not?" The blond was taking offense to that. Doyle stared down at their hands, mainly at his own, and imagined all the hurt and the blood that he had been the source of, all the destruction and death. Could he really tell Alex about this, what he did? Alex has done awful things, he would understand, but Doyle didn't know if he could tell his ex just yet. But Alex wasn't going to let what happened go, so maybe it was time to tell him the reason why Doyle wasn't so fazed by this.

"Just...I've been through that before, Alex, and I've killed people because of it. It still makes me sick, to see them dead because of me. You know that, after I learned I was responsible for the death of some of the Scorpia agents that came after us." Doyle took his hands away, "All I am is a monster."

"No you're not." Alex moved his hands to Doyle's shoulders, "And even if you were, I would still love you."

"But I lied to you, about not knowing what it was like to kill someone."

"Out of everyone you know, what was so bad about telling  _me_ that? You know what I've been through, so what was the reason?"

"...I thought you would be afraid of me."

"Why would I be afraid of you? I love you, we both know this, so I could never be afraid of you." Alex asked, concerned now. Doyle ducked his head so Alex couldn't see his tears.

"I'm freakishly strong and I've killed so many people just because they tried to rape me. You could think I would do the same to you and would never want to be with me again."

"Just because you have their blood on your hands doesn't make you a murderer. You were only protecting yourself." Alex frowned as he looked away, "I should know. That's what I've been trying to tell myself for a long time."

"I still killed them, Alex, and I  _hate_ it. I hate killing them, I hate seeing how they always look at me right before I go crazy, I hate how they only want me for my body!" Doyle's fist hit the couch cushions between them and a few springs could be heard breaking, not to mention a slight crack of the couch underneath underneath. Tears began flowing more as he recalled things he despised, "Ever since I met you, no one else has wanted me just for love. They only wanted me for pleasure, but part of it was my own fault because I worked at a strip club. It was the only kind of work I could get, considering my education, and it paid well. But I've been attacked so much over the years that I nearly broke down crying when Van Rook offered me to be his apprentice. I would be with someone who could match my strength, which was bad if he wanted to rape me, but it was just one guy and no one would be after me anymore. At the time, that was all I cared about, just being safe and not getting attacked. I was only attacked once when I was with him and he kept an eye out for me after that, he took care of me and made sure we stayed together. He may have been a jerk, but he was a good guy sometimes."

"And with what happened with Abbey just now, you've become scared and insecure again, you don't want me to worry about you. You've also tried to push me away because you think I'll be scared of you."

"It's- it's not just that." Doyle shook his head, "I've been thinking about my counterpart, too. If he had anything in his past similar to mine, then he would have worse luck in keeping rapists off of him. Even though it could be happening to him now, it makes me feel dirty. Why would you love me if I've been sexually assaulted repeatedly, both in this world and the next? Why would you care for me? It doesn't make any sense."

"Maybe not to you, but I understand." Alex spoke, looking back at him with a softer face than before, "Despite loving me, you're afraid that I might hurt you again and also afraid that you might hurt me. You're afraid that I'll reject you just because you've been abused by others as a toy and that you've killed them in return. You're afraid that I don't understand what it's like to go through it all. But you know what? You're wrong." He shook his head, "I've been sexually assaulted before, Doyle. I've been nearly raped too, I know how it feels. You're not alone and I will continue to love you, no matter what happens. I'd love you if you joined Scorpia, I'd love you if you tried to kill your family, I'd love you if you became a prostitute, I'd love you if you left me." The blond leaned against the redhead gently, softly, trying not to freak out the other, "I would love you to the end of time." There was silence for a moment before an arm was slid around Alex.

"Thank you." Doyle buried his face in the blond's hair, more tears falling from his eyes, "And so would I."

* * *

Zak wasn't sure what had woken him up, but something had. He blinked, rubbing his eyes and he looked around. He had slept in his uncomfortable chair as he waited for his parents, but now he was awake for some reason. Hearing some shuffling, he looked around, undoing his seat-belt and readying the Claw. He used it to swing up to the rafter of the Navigation Room and sat himself down, gazing below for any disturbance that he wasn't able to catch from above. The doors suddenly slid open and a group of darkly-dressed men entered, spreading out. Zak pat his pockets to make sure his sat phone was there as he watched them, feeling that he was safe. The rafters were so high above the Navigation Room that it was almost impossible to climb up otherwise.

 _Did something happen to Mom and Dad?_ he wondered,  _I hope they're okay._

"Clear." he heard the word echo up, "Airship is secure."

"Time to find out more about these 'Secret Scientists.'" said another, and Zak felt a bad feeling come over him. Hopefully his brothers were okay, but it seemed that these people were making their own agenda, whether for or against the Secret Scientists Zak wasn't sure. But it certainly wasn't good, because why would they sneak aboard the ship without his parents? He watched in amazement as they managed to bypass Doc's security and begin to examine everything that was in the Saturdays' database, including the other Secret Scientists. Zak hoped they would leave soon, but he also didn't want them to leave with the data they were learning, the data of everything the Saturdays knew. He had to do something, but what? He almost didn't hear the beep, but when he squinted, he saw one of them holding up a flashdrive. They might have seen the data, but they couldn't remember it all, so if he managed to get a hold of the flashdrive, they'd need to get another one and by that time, Zak's parents would have hopefully returned!

Crawling along the beams, he tried to keep them in sight as he headed over to the nearest vent. He knew this place better than any of them did, so he had the advantage. Plus, they didn't seem to know he was there, so that was another good thing. He just had to sneak around and somehow grab the flashdrive. He winced as he saw one of them put it in his pocket and knew it wasn't going to be easy, but he had to try! Whatever they were planning, it couldn't have been good. And Zak also now understood the anger that Doyle and Alex had towards MI6, because if they did underhanded things like this, who knew what else they would do? Taking out his sat phone, he accessed the map of the airship and tapped the  _Scan_  icon, where several moving blips lit up. Recently, his father had installed a thermal imaging system into the airship in case of intruders, and it allowed Zak not only see where he was and his enemies, but also watch them in real time. Frowning, the tanned boy could also see other icons on the map, possibly his cryptid brothers, but he wasn't sure. He could only hope it was them and that they were okay, down in a closet in the engine room.

As it was, he opened the vent and crawled and quietly as he could, keeping tabs on the group of men. He soon came to his parents' bedroom and exited out of the vents there, running out of the room to find the men. The MI6 group was on the first level of the ship while he was on the third, having crawled through a high vent. He needed to find a way down and needed to steal that flashdrive before they got out of the airship. If they did, he wouldn't be able to follow them and MI6 would get the information. He wished Fisk and Komodo were by his side, but they had to stay hidden just in case. Zak knew it was all up to him at the moment and he had to do his best to make sure MI6's day went south. First, as soon as he came across a control panel, he opened it and began wiring it to his sat phone. He was a smart kid, there was no doubt when you had two scientists for parents, and once that was done, he now had some control over the airship. The first thing he did was to turn off the air conditioning so that their thermal images wouldn't be covered up and the next was to lock all outside doors, though he wondered how well that would do. His parents never left the ship unlocked, so MI6 must have found a way in somehow. But Zak only needed them inside long enough to grab the flashdrive, so he hoped this wouldn't take too long. Briefly, his hand hovered over the  _Absolute Lockdown_  icon, but he thought better of it.

"Better for them to know I was never here that to give myself away." he mused before unhooking the phone, "Now, just gotta find a way down..." He dashed along the hall and wondered if he should take the elevator, then went against it. As he had just said, no reason to let the bad guys know he was there. So, he other choice was the vents, and now he was glad for the vent training Alex had given him. Zak crawled back into the vents once again and switch the map on his phone to schematics to see the airship's ventilation. There was a straight shot down to the next floor nearby, but he would have to be careful to make no sound, because the men would be passing by that area soon. There was also a low vent near there were he would be able to (hopefully) snatch the flashdrive.

"I hope Wadi's stealing has rubbed off on me!" he muttered as he entered the vent again. Finding the vertical vent, Zak attached the Claw to one of the sides and slowly made his way down, almost as if he was rappelling, and winced when he reached the bottom and had to make a small drop. A tiny metallic sound was heard from the connection and Zak froze.

"Did you hear that?" asked one of the men through the walls, sounding muffled.

"...Looks like we might have to deal with the cryptids after all. Be careful, we're not quite sure what they can do." Zak tiptoed through the rest of the vent and peered through the covering, finding that the men were standing right in front of it. Now, all he had to do was somehow grab the flashdrive from the right pocket and things would be good again. However, they were now on alert and Zak wasn't sure which one had the flashdrive. Plus, he couldn't be seen, not now, so how was he supposed to search the right pocket? And wouldn't they feel it? He would have to somehow quietly tear off the right pocket with the Claw, otherwise he would be found out and it would be game over.

 _Gotta time this_  just _right..._  Zak took his time removing the cover, wary of the sound he was making, but wanting to hurry. Who knew when they would move away? But it gave him time to examine their pockets and the men themselves, trying to figure out which one had the flashdrive. He thought it was the one with the thin scar on his finger, he seemed familiar. Suddenly, the men began to move off, though slowly and cautious, and the familiar man was at the end of the group. Zak smirked and slowly inched the vent open just enough to slip the head of the Claw through. He aimed and, hoping the Claw wouldn't make too much noise, he fired and the Claw ripped the cloth with little resistance or sound. The flashdrive dropped to the floor and no one seemed to have heard it drop, as they continued on, and Zak waited until they were completely gone before he went out to grab it.

"Oh yeah, Mom and Dad are gonna be happy!" the boy soon frowned, however, "But how did they know about Fisk and Komodo? I better go check on them." Zak retreated into the vents, but not before accessing another control panel and undoing his tricks. No trace, after all. The boy didn't realize that there had been more than one flashdrive, though, and the men smiled at each other.

"He thinks he's good." said one, "But he was  _so_ wrong."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Viagra is a medicine that treats both high blood pressure in the lungs and erectile dysfunction, and meth can cause symptoms such as excessive sweating, twitching, accelerated heartbeat, dizziness, pale appearance, euphoria, changes in libido/sex drive, etc. Doyle feels most of these symptoms when he wakes up and it takes a while to get meth out of your system. The effects of it can last up to 24 hours, depending on how much you've taken and whether you keep taking it, and it takes 2-10 days for it to leave your system.
> 
> 2\. Doyle, after leaving Alex, had to make money somehow and had to do the best he could, and there weren't many jobs he could get without a good education.
> 
> 3\. The group that infiltrated the airship isn't just any group MI6 could have sent, they're a group Alex was and is familiar with.
> 
> 4\. Doyle's secret powers only come out when he's extremely afraid or angry and depends on the situation. He doesn't know exactly what happens, such as the glowing eyes, but he knows it's very bad and he tries to keep himself reigned in. These powers of his only started to happen after he and Alex separated, tying his powers to the event and his emotions.


	22. Dealing With Cryptids And Feelings

“Better?” Alex asked, pulling away.

“A bit, yeah.” Doyle leaned back and quickly sucked in a breath as pain struck his hurting side. Alex immediately leaned over and began searching for the problem.

“What's the matter? Is there something you didn't tell me?”

“No, just my wound from the stone.” Doyle pat his side gently, “Think it may have reopened.”

“Ah.” Alex stood up, “Wait here while I get some medical supplies.”

“You don't have to tell me twice.” Doyle watched as Alex left before looking down at his hands. Alex accepted him for who he was and had even gone through much himself. In some way, they were no different, so there was nothing to be afraid of. But he couldn't help but fear himself, because what was he really? Was he even human? People didn't usually have insane strength or lose their minds under certain circumstances, they didn't black out, and they most certainly did not have what Doyle had. He had thought about this before several times, but now, with Alex around and their relationship repairing, he wanted an answer.

“I'm back.” Alex announced after he noticed that Doyle didn't notice him. The ex-mercenary looked up and gave a sad smile to Alex, who used a small knife to cut Doyle's shirt off so that he could get to the bandages without much trouble.

“Was that really necessary?”

“Unless you wanted to go through the trouble of taking your shirt off, then yes. You could have also held it up, but I don't want you to move too much.” Alex sliced off the bandages and shook his head, “It should have healed by now, but you're right, it's reopened, if only a little. I'm going to disinfect it before I bandage it again, okay?”

“Got it.” Doyle winced as Alex dabbed at the area with cottonballs full of alcohol, the touch alone sending throbs through his body, and then the area was sealed with a large gauze pad.

“Try not to move too much again.” Alex said as he put away the rest of the First Aid, “Is there anything you need?”

“I need this meth out of my system for one thing.” Alex raised an eyebrow, “She drugged me with it and now my body's going crazy and I hate it.”

“So that's what happened to it...”  
  
“What do you mean?”

“That phone call I got from Ben, after we dealt with Scorpia, he mentioned that they had been planning to sell some methamphetamine, but a few grams were missing. We though Abbey had taken it and it looks like we were right.” Alex tilted his head, “Drinking water and taking vitamins might help. Want me to get you some food and a drink?”

“Sure.” Doyle nodded, “And could you please hand me my laptop?”

“On it.” As he passed behind the couch, Alex laid his hand on Doyle's head, “And don't worry, it should stop working in a few hours. It'll take longer to get out of your system completely, though. And you might get addicted.”

“Slap me or punch me or something, I don't want to get addicted to that stuff.” Doyle had closed his eyes when Alex touched his head and opened them when Alex moved away.

“Noted. And don't worry about Deadbolt, I'll take care of it. You just rest.” Doyle nodded and closed his eyes. Exhaustion overtook him and he was soon asleep.

* * *

“They should be under control now.” Drew stated as she and Doc sat in one of the conference rooms with Mrs. Jones and another spy (or was he a bodyguard?), “The Gartas ran out into the sewers and should be heading back into the countryside.”

“You're not going to take them out of England?” asked Jones.

“I don't see why we should. They're native to here and came in from the countryside, so they should be allowed to go back to where they need to be without any interference.” Doc pointed out.

“Fair enough.” Jones nodded, “And thank you for your help. Sanders will escort you out.” The Saturdays wanted to argue but knew it wasn't in their best interests to do so, so they left quietly at the prodding of the agent. Sanders soon entered the room again, this time with a folder.

“Brogan said this was for you and very important.” Sanders laid it in front of her, “He was busy and asked me to bring it to you.” Jones nodded and took the folder.

“I'll head up to my office, then. Onto your next assignment.”

“Yes ma'am.” Jones left the conference room, careful to make sure none of the files would slip out or were showing. She headed to the elevator and went up to her office, where she could safely view the new information. It was the only truly secure room in the building that she knew of. To her surprise, she found a team of men waiting for her in her office.

“No trouble?” She asked as she went around to sit behind her desk.

“Not at all.” one of them put a folder on the table, the front of it stamped 'TOP SECRET' in red, “Here's everything we managed to get from the Saturdays.”

“The kid thought he managed to get the flashdrive away from us, but all he got was an extra copy.” said another of the men.

“Thank you, K-Unit. You're dismissed.” The men left quietly, but they seemed hesitant to do so. This was not the first time they had worked for MI6, but they were still curious. She was glad that they would follow orders, though, and once their footsteps had faded away, opened the newest file. It was a fairly thick file, filled to the brim about the Secret Scientists, cryptids they had encountered, and even some adventures they had gone on. Jones had suspected that Alex was rooming with the Saturdays after Ben had learned of his most recent location and wanted to know if they could be any threat to the spy. She frowned as she came across Doyle Blackwell's file, which was extensive with the bounties on him and his exploits. Out of all of them, that man seemed to be the most dangerous to Alex. She would send an email to him, warning him about Doyle, but she didn't know if he would listen. He was not known to listen to her, so should she pull Alex out with force? Perhaps, but Doyle seemed to have done nothing to Alex so far, so maybe she could allow Alex to stay with the Saturdays just a bit longer.

After reviewing over all the information, Jones closed the file. The Gartas had caused MI6 some trouble and they weren't the only cryptids out there. She wondered if she should do something about the cryptids, but then decided that the Secret Scientists were better at dealing with the cryptids. However, it was best not to let people with such power go unchecked, so maybe she did have a mission for Alex after all. She then slid the folder off the desk and into a bin, where it burned up in seconds, leaving nothing but ash left.

Down below, a researcher walked out of one of the labs underground. He slipped into a closet, but he didn't come out. Another man, clothed plainly, stepped out. His printless fingers patted a pocket that contained a flashdrive as he left the Royal & General, melding into the crowd. He had entered as a normal man and exited as one, just with the addition of the flashdrive that K-Unit had brought back. He smiled to himself, happy that he had managed to fool MI6, and of course he could. After all, he was one of the best spies in the world, if only a little bit below the legendary Alex Rider.

* * *

**Cryptid Translator: ON**

When Zak came to the closet where his brothers were located, he found it blocked by a couch, but that shouldn't have stopped the door, as it was a sliding door. Upon trying the door panel, however, he found that the door wouldn't move. Was it locked? If so, he knew the code to unlock it, but there was still no response. Was there no power to it? But how was that possible? The whole ship was running! Looking around, he found a electric panel and went to open it, where he found it had already been opened once. Zak mused that the MI6 group must have come by here and disabled the power so the cryptids couldn't get out, explaining why they thought the ship was secure. Restoring power to the door, Zak opened it and found both of his cryptid brothers inside.

“Hey!” Zak climbed onto the couch and attracted their attention, “Are you two okay?”

“Just fine.” said Fisk as Komodo yawned, having taken a nap, “Why?”

“The airship was just broken into!”

“Are you okay?” Komodo was worried. Zak nodded.

“Yeah, and they tried to steal information from our computers, but I got the flashdrive, so no need to worry about that.” Zak showed the two the item he had snagged off the invaders, “Without this, they're just going back empty-handed.”

“Are you sure that's the only one they had?” Fisk asked, “They could have had another one you didn't know about.” Zak frowned.

“I didn't see another one, but you could be right. And if they really did get information from our computers, then we might be in trouble.”

“Maybe Alex can help, or Francis.” Komodo suggested, “There's no telling what MI6 wants with that kind of information. But are you sure it was MI6? It could have been anyone, even Scorpia.”

“I'm pretty sure...” Zak now didn't feel so sure that who he had seen were MI6 operatives. Komodo sighed.

“It's not your fault.” the lizard assured, “As it is, we can't do anything now that they're gone. The best we can do is to tell our parents what happened.” Fisk grabbed Zak and held the boy off the couch as he easily moved it out of the way, putting the tanned boy down when he was done.

“Mom and Dad are gonna be mad at me so much for this...” Zak sighed.

“No they won't.” Fisk shook his head, then shrugged, “Well, maybe a little. You tried to help out and you didn't get hurt. That's what counts.”

“I'm still going to get chewed out epically, though. Aw man!”

**Cryptid Translator: OFF**

* * *

_“It's New Year's Eve.”_

_“Your point is?” Doyle looked up from the magazine he was reading, after finding it lying around. He swore Alex only got these books and stuff just for him, but it was a nice touch. The blond was standing above him, his hands behind his back, and Doyle raised an eyebrow._

_“What is it?” he asked, sitting up, “I know you've got something behind your back.”_

_“Well, because Christmas was ruined, I got you a present and decided to give it to you today, right before the New Year begins.” Alex took a box from behind his back and held it out, “Open it.”_

_“You didn't have to do this.” Doyle didn't take the present, staring it as if it would suddenly come to life and bite him, “I don't even have a present for you.”_

_“It doesn't matter.” Alex pushed the present into the redhead's arms, “I know you think you're imposing a lot on me, but it's alright. I wanted to get you a present.” he looked away, “It's been so long since I spent Christmas with anyone. I guess I just got the urge to get a present because I actually had someone I could shop for for once. So, your present to me is making me happy for the first time in years.”_

_“I...” Doyle didn't know what to say at that revelation, “I made you happy? For the first time in_ years _? Don't you have a family to spend the holidays with?”_

_“No. They're all dead. The only people I know are mainly MI6-related and there's no way I'm spending Christmas with people I hate, so you were my next best option.”_

_“Can I ask...what happened to make you so alone?”_

_“My parents died in a plane bombing when I was just a few weeks old. My uncle died shortly after I turned 14 and my caretaker, Jack, died when I turned 15.” Alex took out his wallet and showed Doyle a picture, “This is me and Jack after my uncle died but before she did.” Alex had a sad smile as he gazed at the picture, “She was like a sister to me. I still miss her, even now.”_

_“I'm sorry, I didn't mean-”_

_“It's okay.” Alex put his wallet away, “Open your present. I hope you like it.” Doyle hesitated, wondering if he should, but opened it. Inside, under all the wrapping, was a new toolkit._

_“For your inventions.” Alex answered to his shocked look, “I know how you like to invent things when you get bored, so this might help.”_

_“But I don't-”_

_“I told you, you don't have to give me anything. Just your presence is making me happy and that's all I could ever ask for.” Doyle blushed and set the box aside._

_“...Thanks.” he managed, “I've...I've never really had a present before. You know how I grew up, so I never got a present. I always had to steal to survive, even on the holidays, and though I didn't remember much from my parents, I knew they would hate it if they could see me as a thief, especially during that time, so I tried not to.” Doyle smiled, “Thank you for making sure that didn't happen again.”_

_“No problem.” Alex turned away again, ready to stand up, and froze when strong arms wrapped around him and tugged him back. His instincts kicked in and he prepared to lash out before realized that it was Doyle hugging him from behind. Relaxing, he put a hand on the redhead's crossed arms and cocked his head, curious._

_“What are you doing?”_

_“Thanking you for what you've done over these past few months. You've put up with a whole lot of sh*t because of me, and I don't know if I can ever thank you enough.” Alex leaned back into his arms._

_“Then please, don't let go.” Doyle tightened his grip slightly._

_“I promise. Make yourself comfortable.”_

_“Alright.” Alex closed his eyes and wondered once again if Doyle was really in love with him or not. Alex hoped so, but even if he wasn't, cuddling up like this was a nice respite from the winter weather outside. With his eyes closed, he didn't see Doyle's kind smile or notice how the redhead gazed at him contently. Of course, thanks to his instincts, he felt the staring, but didn't let it bother him. For once, he was fine with being stared at, even if he didn't know the curious and caring thoughts behind the stare._

* * *

_Another mission had come up for Alex to deal with, and Doyle thought it was going to be a simple one, just like the others before the New Year, where Alex didn't get hurt too much. But this time, he was wrong, and soon found himself taking care of the blond. He was bandaging the cuts, checking for broken bones, and making sure Alex wasn't bleeding out. For all he knew, Alex had just gotten lucky on the last few missions and this is what he really looked like when coming back fro a normal one: bloodied, bruised and broken. But seeing him like this made Doyle both angry and sad for the blond, where he took his anger out on Alex, though he didn't mean to._

_“Is this really worth it?! Is this Hell you bring upon yourself really worth what you do?!” he snapped as he bandaged the spy's arm, trying to ignore the hisses of pain from the other man, “Isn't there some other job you could take where you don't get hurt? You're killing yourself doing these jobs for the CIA and MI6, you're beating your body every time you do what they want you to. You need to stop, because I can't keep seeing you like this! I can't keep bandaging you, healing you! Because you know what? Someday, possibly sooner than later, you're going to get so badly hurt that you need to go to the hospital, and you're going to die. Your luck won't be able to save you then! And when you do...” he let a small sob escape past his lips, “And when you do, I'll be dead too. Not because I want to join you in death, but because I'll be recaptured by that d*mn ring and sold off once again as a prostitute. I'd rather be dead than have to face that again. Do you want me to die to avoid a fate worse than death? Do you?!” Doyle was given no answer and, with a snarl, he tossed away the bandages and stood up, “Bandage yourself, then! If you can't answer my question, I'm going to my room! And don't come looking!” Alex didn't even flinch when the door slammed behind the angry redhead, he only leaned down to grab the rest of the bandages and put them back in the first aid kit._

_“You're right.” he said softly, “I don't want you to die, but I've got nothing else to do with my life. No one has blackmail on me, but I've got nothing except you and the missions.” Alex felt tears run down his face, wincing as they traveled across a cut on his jaw, “Maybe I'll stop after this is over and we can both run. But there's nowhere to hide, not from MI6, CIA, or anyone else that wants me dead. If things were different, Doyle, I'd do whatever you wanted. But not now, not when you could die another way.” With that, Alex laid back on the couch and closed his eyes, hoping for some sleep. He was in no shape to deal with Doyle's anger and had no idea how to calm the other, younger man down. The best he could hope for was for Doyle to calm down and listen. And if the redhead tried to say he was sorry for lashing out, Alex wouldn't allow it. He was the one that caused Doyle's anger, so Doyle had every right to be angry at Alex._

_He opened his eyes when he heard crashes come from Doyle's room and got to his feet. Was Doyle in danger? Alex wanted to go in there and help, but then realized Doyle could be just releasing his anger._ That _was something Alex wouldn't be able to deal with, but he had to be sure. He didn't want Doyle to be hurt because he thought that the redhead was just taking out his anger. Slowly, mindful of his aching, blistering body, Alex went to the door and crouched, trying to see under it and listen. He could only see one pair of feet, pacing, and Doyle was growling and snarling, only his voice could be heard. He was alone and angry, just as Alex had expected._

_“Stupid-! I know that there's no way for him to stop, he has nothing left, but I wish he wouldn't get hurt! If he keeps coming back like this, if I have to keep helping him, things are never gonna get better.” Doyle gave a sigh as he stopped pacing, “I-I don't want him to get hurt. I mean, we're friends, he saved my life, but...why do I feel so hurt when he's the one injured? If this is friendship, then I'm not sure if it's good or bad.”_

It's not friendship. _Alex thought, moving back to the couch,_ It could be, but I'm pretty sure it's not.

* * *

Alex glanced up from the book he was reading as one of the living room doors opened and the Saturdays entered. Before they could speak, he put a finger to his lips, asking them to be quiet. Doyle was still asleep, as Alex had found him, and the blond had put a blanket over him to keep him warm. Alex slid away from the sleeping redhead and went to speak with the Saturdays in another room, where Doyle wouldn't be disturbed.

“So? How did it go?” he asked once they were out of range.

“Not too well, I'm afraid.” said Doc, “It seems MI6 infiltrated the airship and copied data from our database.”

“Everything?” Alex asked, fear spiking, “Was there anything about my connection to you?”

“Not at all, but now they know more about the Secret Scientists and cryptids.” Drew said, “Zak did his best to stop it, but it seems they had a copy that he didn't know about.” she shook her head, “The Gartas must have just been a distraction to get information on us. How could we have been so stupid?”

“You weren't stupid, you only did what you thought was the right thing to do at the time. MI6 are just-” Alex glanced down at Zak, “-you know what I mean. They acquire things through any way they can if it means 'saving the world.'” Alex knelt down to Zak, “You shouldn't have taken them on like that. And I don't care whether you had your family to back you up or not, that was a reckless thing to do. MI6 are not nice, Zak, and you could have been killed!” Alex tugged Zak into a sudden hug, much to the surprise of everyone, as he wasn't much of a touching guy. And when he pulled away, he gave Zak a stern look, “Don't _ever_ do that again, understand? I may not be a part of your family, but I don't want you getting hurt, especially if MI6 or Scorpia are involved.”

“I understand.” Zak blushed, “Thanks.” Alex nodded and stood up again.

“Did anything happen here?” Doc asked.

“Well...” Alex frowned, “You're not going to like it. And Miranda needs a new robot. And Abbey's in jail.” Somehow, the Saturdays found themselves surprised by this, despite how many surprises that had been through in Alex's presence so far.

“Do we even want to know?” Drew crossed her arms, “And is Doyle okay?”

“He's fine, just needs a lot of rest. His wound reopened, but I patched it. As for the rest... You probably don't want to know.”

“Wound? What wound?” Zak frowned worriedly, “How much has happened that you guys aren't willing to tell me?! Don't you trust me?” He looked hurt that his own parents wouldn't trust him with a secret.

“Sweetie-” Drew tried after sharing a look with Doc. Zak cut her off.

“I'm not too young for this stuff, Mom! I fought Argost, I saw him and Van Rook die, _I_ died! If I can handle all that, I should be able to handle whatever you were trying to keep a secret from me!” Tears now in his eyes, Zak ran off, his cryptid brothers following him. Both of the parents made to go after their son, but Alex grabbed them.

“Don't.” said the spy, “He's not going to trust you for a while after this, and I know how it feels. You guys keep secrets from the public, just like me, but you haven't been betrayed like me, by someone I thought I could trust.”

“We were betrayed by the other Secret Scientists when Zak was revealed to be Kur.” Doc shot back, “They were people we've known for years and suddenly they just wanted to freeze Zak for eternity!”

“But did you really know them that well, know what they liked and disliked? Did you know how much they cared for you? Were they as close to you as Zak was? No. Zak's really hurt that we all kept secrets from him, that we were the only adults he could trust. Now who's he supposed to trust?” Alex took a breath, “I know how that feels more than you could ever think. Let me talk with him, and then maybe you three can go back to trusting each other again. But this time, we shouldn't keep Zak out of the loop, or this could happen again. Do you both understand me?” Doc and Drew were quiet.

“...And you think this will help?” Drew asked.

“I do.”

“Then yes, we understand. Please, go help Zak.”

“I will. Just hold out your end of the deal, though. And I might tell Zak a few things that you don't know, so don't be angry at me for doing so. We're not keeping any secrets from him, but I can still keep secrets from you because I don't want everyone to know them.” At that, before the Saturdays could respond, Alex was gone.


	23. Affairs of the Heart

“Quickly, quickly!” hissed Komodo Monday, “You don't have a lot of time!”

“Don't you think I know that?!” snapped Doyle Whitewell, peeking around a corner, “Where's the exit?”

“Near here, in the bathroom.”

“The bathroom?” Whitewell glared at the lizard, “Why there?”

“If you want to be safe, your only choice is to go to the Matter World.”

“But their mirror was destroyed, how am I supposed to go there without my counterpart?”

“I've found a way around that.” admitted Komodo, “But there's another reason you need to go there. I believe that Zak is alive, somewhere in the other world after their Argost pulled him out. Not only will you get away from Alex, you will also be able to look for him.”

“And how do you know it could be true?”

“Because Zak Saturday is still alive.” Komodo glanced nervously down the hall, “You need to go now!” Doyle didn't argue and followed the lizard into the designated bathroom. Komodo coughed up a device similar to a compass and Doyle grudgingly held it in his hand.  
  
“This will keep you from being dragged right back into our world if you don't come into contact with your counterpart immediately. I have tested it myself and it works, but only for short periods. It needs to recharge and you will know when it needs to be, as you will be sucked into the closest mirror.”

“How long does it take to recharge?” Komodo winced.

“At the least, three days.”

“Three days?” Doyle grabbed Komodo by the throat, “Alex can find me in less than one. I can't have that. Is there any way to decrease the recharge time?”

“If you...plug it in.” coughed Komodo. Doyle let go of him, but was still angry.

“You had better hope for your life that I stay out of Alex's clutches, otherwise I am going to skin you alive, whether I'm a ghost or not afterword.” Doyle left through the mirror without another word and Komodo sighed. That was one less loose end to deal with, but he was still in danger. And, the second he opened the door, he knew he was likely to die. Standing just outside was Alex, as well as two of his guards. Before Komodo could retaliate or defend himself, Alex kicked out and hit the dragon on the chin, shutting him up, and stomped down on Komodo's face just as quickly.

“Mmph!” Komodo tried to free his face, but it was no use. And, with his neck being longer than his legs, he had no way to attack Alex properly.

“Where did he go?” snarled the blond, brown eyes flashing in anger, “I saw you come in here with him, where did he go?” Alex saw Komodo glance elsewhere for a second fearfully and followed the glance to the mirror, “Into the Matter World, is it? But he couldn't have gone there without help, so you're going to come with me and tell me how to get him back, understand?” Alex didn't care if he was answered or not, he stomped down on Komodo's head, harder this time, and then kicked out, sending Komodo flying into a wall. While the dragon was hurting and dazed, his guards tied up Komodo as he smiled.

“Where do you want him?”

“With the others. He was smart, for a cryptid.” Alex's eyes followed Komodo as the cryptid was carried out of the room, “He should have known not to mess with me.”

* * *

Zak sat in his room as Fisk tried to wipe away his tears, but Zak pushed him away and the cryptid didn't know what to do. His brother was in pain but wouldn't take his comfort. Komodo didn't know what to do, either, and since Zak wouldn't let him get close, he either could only watch or leave; not wanting to be hurt by watching his brother in pain, the dragon chose to leave. Fisk's ears twitched when he heard footsteps and turned to see Alex at the door. Growling, Fisk put himself in a defensive stance to protect Zak. Alex raised his hands in surrender and gave the Phantom a pleading look.

“I'm here to explain the truth. I understand if you don't trust me and you can stay here while I explain, Fisk.”

“How do we know you're going to tell the truth?” Zak asked, his voice shaking.

“What reason would I have to lie? You know I hate lies.”

“You could have been lying about that!” Alex shrugged.

“Fair enough.” the blond agreed, “But I'm here to talk to you because I know you don't trust your parents. You have no right to trust me, either, but I know how bad breaches of trust can be.” Alex glanced around and, spotting a chair, he took a seat in it, “The best example I can give you is between Doyle and myself, but that's something I'm not quite willing to share yet because it's so sensitive to the both of us. The only other example I can give you is my godfather, Ash. Look him up if you want and you'll find he was a real person, full name Anthony Sean Howell. He planted the bomb on the plane my parents were on and that was what killed them, what forced me to live with my uncle for most of my life. I didn't know him long, but to hear about someone who was so close to my father just betray him? That hurt, so in a way, I know how you feel.” Alex shook his head, “I don't care if you don't believe me, I'm only here to tell you the truth and let you know that there is always a reason to keep secrets, even if the reason wasn't always right.”

“Then tell me what happened to Doyle that night and the wound he has that you guys apparently thought you shouldn't tell me.”

“Do you know what soulstone are?” Zak and Fisk shook their heads, “They're magic stones that apparently act like voodoo dolls, in a way.”

“Like, if you hurt them they hurt whoever they're attached to?” Alex nodded.

“That's the gist of it. As far as we can tell, the rings that were stolen by the Mondays were made into soulstones to be used to hurt Doyle and I. For some reason I haven't been hurt yet, but so far Doyle's had a large gash appear on his side and, shortly after, he got very sick very quickly. Since he showed no signs of getting sick before, Doyle and I think that the sickness and the gash are related to the soulstones.” Alex met Zak's eyes, “The reason no one wanted to tell you the truth is because we didn't want you to worry. I know it doesn't sound like much of a reason, but you'd be surprised at how many secrets are kept just under that alone.”

“And he's still hurting?” Alex nodded.

“Yeah, but he's gotten better.”

“You're certain the Mondays are behind this?”

“We don't have any idea who else it could be. And once he's better and this is over, we'll be going after the mirror to end this with the Mondays.” Zak nodded.

“Is there anything else you know of that no one's told me?” Alex closed his eyes to think. As he did so, Fisk leaned down to Zak to whisper, asking if he really did trust what Alex was saying. Zak, knowing Alex could be listening, could only shrug in response. Alex had sounded sincere, but so had his parents and they had lied. Zak didn't know what to think anymore.

“Well, remember when we confronted Scorpia the first time, with a copy of that cryptid combiner thing?” Zak and Fisk nodded as Alex continued, “Doyle was covered in blood because he killed people and so did I.” Their eyes widened, but Alex didn't stop, “There were also grams of meth there that Scorpia was going to trade away, but Abbey stole some and used it to drug Doyle. He was lucky nothing really bad happened. He only told me the truth because he knew that I could handle it and he trusted me, that I wouldn't be hurt by this. That's another reason why people don't tell the truth sometimes, Zak. Sometimes they lie because they don't want people to get hurt. That's part of the reason why your parents didn't want to tell you the truth, they wanted to protect you. I didn't want to tell you the whole truth because of that, too, but I know how it feels to be lied to, so I tried not to lie as much as I could while protecting you. I know that you've been through a lot, but no one should have done what you had to do, especially not someone your age.” Alex closed his eyes and hung his head, “I know that all too well.”

“...” Fisk and Zak weren't sure what to say, now that they knew. They shared a glance before Zak spoke, “What do you mean you know? Do you really know how it feels to have so much pressure on you to save the world?”

“I do.” Alex met his eyes again and both Saturdays could see the tired, ancientness in Alex's brown, jasper eyes, “I know it better than you could ever understand.”

“Then tell me. You came here to tell me the truth and I want to know.” Alex shook his head.

“That's one secret that'll have to stay secret. I'm sorry, Zak, but even _Doyle_ doesn't know the whole truth about my past. Please understand that there are some things I'm not willing to share just because they're either personal or because they're too dangerous for others to know. Do you understand?”

“...Yes sir.”

“And are you still mad at your parents for keeping these things from you?”

“Now that you've explained it, not really. I mean, it hurts that I've been betrayed again—especially by my own family no less—but I get it.” Zak looked to Alex, “Did all of that really happen? Did your godfather really kill your parents and did you and Doyle really kill those men? How could that happen?”

“The world's a bitter place, Zak, and no one can control everything or know what others are thinking. For me and Doyle, it was because of our cryptid halves; we never meant to hurt anyone. Ash, on the other hand, knew what he was doing and didn't have to be forced into it. I can't tell you the full story right now, but he wanted revenge on MI6 for sticking him back to a desk job, and Scorpia just gave him a chance to do that.” Alex frowned, “I'm still not sure if Scorpia told Ash that my parents were on the plane or if he learned it later, but I know what he did. That's why I'm not sorry that he's dead.”

“Then I guess honesty's not always the best policy, huh?” Zak tried to joke. To his surprise, Alex smiled.

“Not always, especially if you're a spy.” the blond stood, “Do you want to go see your parents now or have some time to yourself to think over all this?”

“I'll stay and think, but could you please tell them that I'm not mad anymore, that I understand?”

“Sure, kiddo.” Alex pat Zak's head, “Just be ready to leave at any time. As soon as Doyle wakes up, I think we're going to be on the move and after the Mondays.”

“Right. Oh, and if you see Komodo, could you send him this way?” Zak looked up as Fisk as the cryptid wrapped an arm around the boy, “I want to apologize for shunning these guys away when they were only trying to help.” Fisk gave a small purr of thankfulness as he accepted Zak's apology and Alex nodded.

“Will do.” he paused at the doorway, “And I promise, your parents and I won't keep anymore secrets unless we have no choice. I'll make sure of it.” Giving a small wave, Alex then left for good, leaving Zak and Fisk alone.

* * *

Drew kept the blanket tucked around her brother, careful of Doyle's hurting side. She was glad he was getting some sleep and only hoped that the Mondays could be taken out soon, just so her brother wouldn't have to be hurt anymore. Doc was also with her, watching over and making sure things were okay, but Drew could sense that something was wrong and that he wasn't just being quiet for Doyle's sake.

“What's on your mind?” she asked in a whisper as she finished up, letting her fingers dance through Doyle's hair before leaving him alone. All in response was a twitch of the lips, like he was trying to smile.

“Well-”

“Besides Zak.”

“Nothing, then.”

“I doubt it.” She took his hand and led him out of the living room so that they could discuss more thoroughly. Once they were out, she asked again, “Seriously, what's wrong? I know you've been doing your best to help in the lab, but it's felt like something's off with you since Alex got here.”

“Nothing's wrong, Drew, really.”

“Do I need to give you another Fiskerton sandwich to snap you back?” Doc gave a chuckle.

“There's no need for that, just-” he sighed and his face saddened, “Just, ever since he came, things have changed. It was the same when Doyle first came, but different. We had a rivalry, sure, and you tried to get close to him because he was your brother, but now...”

“But what?”

“I feel like I don't belong. Doyle and Alex have each other and you keep worrying about Doyle, and it just leaves me alone.” Drew saddened at this.

“Honey, I didn't mean for you to feel left out-”

“But this is a family thing, Drew, all on your side of it. You have to deal with your brother and his ex-fiance trying to get together again and I didn't know what to do because it's just not my thing. What could I do to help a family problem that didn't really need me?” Doc shook his head, “I just feel like an outsider most of the time now.”

“I promise you're not, Doc.” Drew hugged him, “And I'm sorry for making you feel that way, but you can always help out on this. You could get to know Alex better, since you're both considerably smart and stuff, or I could just spend time with you. I know I haven't been doing that too much, worrying over my little brother and all-”

“And that's just fine.” Doc interrupted, “I understand that, he's your sibling and with what's going on, you want to protect him. I never really had any siblings, growing up, so I don't know how it feels, and I just left it all to you because he's your brother and your only family. That was one thing I knew I couldn't get in the way of.”

“But I've been ignoring you and I don't mean to do that. It makes me feel awful that I have...”

“How about, after Alex gets back, you and I can go off and spend some time together, okay?” Doc suggested, “I'll stay here with you and help you look after your brother until then. You and I both know he's just gone through something and Alex won't tell us and I know that you're worried.” Doc gave her a hug, “I can wait with you all night if I have to.”

“Doc...” Drew closed her eyes as tears began to escape, “Thank you, but I don't deserve this kindness.”

“Doesn't matter. I love you and we'll try to even things out once this all settles down.”

“I love you too, and we will. I promise you that.” They hugged tightly before stepping away slightly to just gaze at each other, one in tears while the other gently rubbed them away.

* * *

“I'm tired of this.” Drew Monday spat at the sappy pictures she was seeing in her compact, “Time to tear this family even farther apart.” And, with that, she grabbed Doyle's sapphire soulstone and smashed it on the ground, stomping at it for good measure. The stone broke away and shattered, leaving only the golden ring, and a commotion began in the other world.

* * *

Drew and Doc both shot their heads toward the living room when they heard a crash and they rushed inside, finding Doyle on the ground, clutching his chest. Immediately they raced over, Doc helping Doyle sit up as the two tried to find out what was wrong.

“He's gripping his chest...” Drew muttered, “Oh god, do you think he's having a heart attack?!”

“Get the defibrillator!” Doc knew that this might happen, so he had gotten one and stocked it in the Medical Bay, one floor down from where they were. As Drew rushed to get it, Doc picked up Doyle and followed, trying to gauge how severe the heart attack was.

“Can you hear me?” he asked. Doyle opened his eyes and gave a small nod, “Can you tell me what's wrong?”

“Breathing barely...” he winced, “Everything hurts...”

“It's going to get better, I promise.” For all their fighting and bickering, Doc certainly didn't want Doyle to die, “What about your chest? Do you feel like you got punched, like something pushing your chest?”

“Yeah...” Doyle whimpered, “Am I...am I going to be okay?”

“Of course you are.” Doc assured, “No one's dying on my watch.” Soon enough they came to the elevator and Doc found that it had been pried open with no elevator in sight. They were only just above the Medical Bay and the water tank, so Doc laid Doyle down and hoped that Drew would quickly return. He also noticed that the ex-mercenary was beginning to close his eyes, “Doyle, stay awake!”

“Professor, don't you...think I'm trying?!” Doyle growled, opening his eyes a crack to glare at the scientist.

“Do I have to slap you to keep you awake?”

“Maybe.” Doyle had no argument if it meant he would stay alive. Doc, hearing clanging in the elevator, looked to see a glow in the shaft, probably Drew using her fire sword to climb back up. Looking back down, Doc was frustrated when he saw that Doyle had passed out. Checking his pulse, he was partially relieved to find it still going, if erratic. He had to try to get Doyle's heartbeat back on track while waiting for Drew to arrive, so he began CPR.

 _You had better hope I don't crush your ribs._ Doc thought as he did chest compressions, and soon Drew was back up and holding the defibrillator. She didn't say a word as she brought it over and began following the instructions, having Doc pull Doyle's shirt up as she took the pads and stuck them to her brother. It was at this point that she was glad that Alex had changed the gauze wrapping to just a pad, so that she didn't have to rip it off her brother and potentially have him bleed out besides his heart attack.

“How many minutes has it been?” she panted, applying the shocks. His body jumped and Doc checked his pulse, but it was still erratic. In response, Drew preformed CPR, as per the instructions on the defibrillator.

“At least two or three. The more time that's lost, the lesser chance he has of survival.” Drew didn't answer him for a while as two minutes passed, then she checked Doyle's pulse, finding that it hadn't evened out.

“I called 911 on my way down.” she applied the shocks again, “Just in case.”

“Good idea.” he checked Doyle's pulse, “Again. And it's times like this that I hate that we live so far away.”

“But thank goodness you thought to buy this thing.” Drew's words were punctuated by the compressions she made, “They said they were still 10 minutes out.”

“They'll be here soon and he'll be okay.” Doc tried to assure her as she checked Doyle's pulse again. Finding that his pulse hadn't changed, tears came to Drew's eyes as she prepared to shock Doyle for a third time.

“Let's hope.” And she pressed the button. Both of them hoped the third time was the charm as Doc checked Doyle's pulse again. To his relief, it seemed to have evened out and he gave her a nod.

“You mean he's-?!”

“He's going to be just fine.” And Drew began to sob with relief, covering her face with her hands.

* * *

Without warning, Alex felt like his nerves had gone haywire, as he had gotten extremely nervous for no reason, as nothing seemed to be happening, and a sense of doom enveloped him, but it wasn't doom of himself. It was like his anxiety over Doyle had suddenly skyrocketed and he knew he had to find the other to make sure that nothing had happened, but he doubted that. To his horror, he knew his instincts were almost always right.

He hadn't even realized that he had ran past Zak's room until the boy shouted, “What's wrong?” Alex paused to look back and see Zak and Fisk leaning out the doorway.

“I don't know, but something's going on. You two can follow if you want, but I need to check it out.” And then he was off again. His instincts were telling him to go to the Medical Bay, and that's where he went. He ran and ran and ran until he came to the door, feeling a little out of breath. Adrenaline still pumping through his system, he slowly pushed open one of the doors to a crack to gaze inside, sort of feeling as if he wasn't wanted there. What he saw made his blood run cold: Doyle was once again in bed, but surrounded with machines and hooked up to a heart monitor, as if they were afraid his heart was going to give out on him. What had happened? Opening the door fully, Alex stepped inside and saw Drew and Doc beside the redhead, both of them looking very worried themselves. No one said anything as Alex took the other side of the bed to gaze at Doyle.

“He had a heart attack.” said Drew quietly, as if to break the tension in the atmosphere, “We got his heart back on track, but there's an ambulance coming to check on him.”

“How far?” Alex asked, not adding more because he didn't trust his voice not to give out on him.

“At least three minutes away now.” said Doc, “It's been seven since this happened.”

“Any idea why?”

“We won't know until he gets looked at by a proper doctor, but at least he's stable.” said Drew, then she clenched a fist, “But I'm almost certain it was the Mondays!” Doc put a hand on her shoulder.

“Easy, Drew.” Doc looked up at Alex, “I'm going to go keep an eye on the boys.”

“No more secrets.” Alex said, “He wants to know and I promised...”

“Alright.” Doc nodded, then left the two alone with Doyle. Alex hadn't touched Doyle once upon entering, gazing over the redhead and afraid that the slightest touch might kill his ex. He looked up when Drew sniffed to see her crying. Knowing that this was hitting her as hard as it was hitting himself, Alex took a pack of tissues out of his jacket and handed them to her. She gave a grateful nod and turned away to blow her nose.

“I would ask why you have these,” she began, “but I think I already know the answer.”

“You're sure it's the Mondays?”

“Who else would have or could have done this?” She waved an arm over Doyle for emphasis, “How much will he have to do through until they stop?”

“They want revenge. They won't stop.” Alex turned away and walked off, towards the doors.

“Alex...” Drew warned, “Please don't go just yet. You already tried to go after them once, you'll need back-up.” Alex paused, “Don't let revenge fuel you like it did me.”

“I don't want revenge.” Alex didn't leave but sat on a bed, much to Drew's relief, “I just want them to stop hurting him. They're not going to do that until something is done.”

“Then at least let us help you stop them, after Doyle gets better.” Alex didn't say a word in response, but he certainly didn't try to leave again, so Drew supposed she must have made some progress.

* * *

“Well, he seems to be just fine. There's no signs of anything that could have caused the heart attack.” said Dr. Wilson. After the ambulance arrived, the medical team had checked to make sure everything was set up properly for Doyle and had called for a doctor to double-check, since they had found so signs of anything wrong with Doyle's heart. This had cemented in the Saturdays and Alex that the soulstones were to blame.

“Is there anything we need to look out for?” asked Alex, “Any complications?”

“Not that I can tell. He should be fine and should wake up soon.” The doctor gave Alex a look, “Did you know that he has meth in his system?”

“Yes, but it's not his fault and no one here is to blame, either. There's a lot I can't really say, so just go with it.” The doctor nodded, then gave the Saturdays a look similar to the last one, “Strange at how...crazy-prepared they are.”

“You have no idea.” Alex said, watching as the doctor left before turning back to his almost-family. Could they be considered his family yet? He didn't know.

“The doctor said there shouldn't be any complications and he should wake up soon.” After the ambulance had arrived, Doc, Zak, and Fisk had joined Alex and Drew in the Medical Bay. There was still no sign of Komodo or Zon, but they weren't worried. Zon was out hunting and Komodo could have been off somewhere playing.

“That's good.” Drew said, “At least we know this means it's almost certain that the Mondays are behind this.”

“Remember what you said about the soulstones, Drew? About the effects if something happened to them?” Alex spoke, “I'm pretty sure a heart attack is what happens when it shatters.”

“But why would they shatter the soulstone if they could have still used it?” asked Zak.

“Maybe because they didn't know what it could do, either, and they hoped it would kill Doyle and send us all into a tailspin.” said Doc.

“But the heart attack couldn't have been the end of it.” Alex frowned, “There's more to this than we see, I know there is.”

“Alex-” Drew was about to correct him when they heard movement and looked down to see that Doyle was waking up. They held their breath as he groaned and slowly opened his eyes, blinking as he looked around and at all of them.

“What happened..?” he asked, frowning when he saw Alex.

“You had a heart attack thanks to the Mondays.” Drew said, putting a hand on her brother's head, “We're just glad you're okay.”

“Thanks a lot, sis, but...” As Doyle kept his eyes on Alex, the spy had a feeling of what was coming, and it broke his heart when he heard the words, “Who's this guy?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I tried to find out how to treat a heart attack to make this work and it was kind of a hard chapter to write, since my dad survived a heart attack a few years ago. It brings up bad memories...
> 
> 2\. This version of Doyle Whitewell is inspired by MagentaMustang's (now SharpAsFlint's) in their story, Assortment of Saturday Stories! from FanFiction.net


	24. Never Mine

It was like Alex had his own heart attack at those words. His legs felt too weak to hold him up and he sat on the bed behind him, just staring at Doyle in shock. He had known something was wrong, but for Doyle to not remember him at all, to not recognize him...

“This...this is Alex.” Drew cautiously said, shocked at this turn of events, “You used to know him really well.”

“When?” Doyle touched his forehead, seeing his hand that was still in a splint but ignoring it for now, “I think there are a few gaps, but I just thought my memory was spotty.” he glanced to Alex, “You're sure I know him?”

“Positive.” said Doc, “So maybe we should leave you two alone to catch up?” Doyle contemplated it, adjusting himself to sit up, against his pillows. He crossed his arms, giving Alex a worried look.

“After you tell me what happened to make me lose my memory of him, if I used to know him so well.”

“You had a heart attack.” Zak said, “But I don't know how it could have made you lose your memory.”

“It was probably the soulstones.” At her brother's confused look, Drew added, “They're stones made using items that are important to the person, sort-of like voodoo, except deadlier and rarer. You got hurt at least twice by the soulstone,” She gestured to the gauze pad attached to Doyle's side, “and this was the third time, but you almost got killed. My best guess is that the stone was shattered and with it, the memories to the man you loved, as cheesy as it sounds.”

“Loved? You didn't say I loved him!” Doyle turned to Alex as much as he could, “I don't- I'm sorry, I didn't realize-”

“Don't.” Alex finally snapped out of his shock, shaking his head, “It's not you fault if you don't remember, so why should you apologize? You loved me once, but that doesn't mean you're _supposed_ to love me.” Doyle blinked, something like recognition flashing in his eyes.

“Was that a song reference? That line sounds familiar...”

“I wouldn't be surprised. You loved music when we were together. You always managed to pick out what song it was by the time a few seconds passed, could tell me who sang it, and even what album it was from.” Alex seemed to hug himself, a dark cloud hanging over him, “But it's not like...” he shook his head, “I'm sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Doyle reached a hand out to try and touch him and Alex, to his credit, didn't recoil. He was silent, however, and didn't say another word. He just looked so... _broken_ , and no one knew what to do to fix him. The air he was putting off indicated he didn't want to be touched, but they didn't want to leave him so sorrowful.

“How...how do I get my memories back?” Doyle asked, looking to Drew, “I can't leave him like this.” He may not have remembered Alex, but it was easy to see how much Doyle cared for the blond. In fact, the Saturdays had no doubt that the two would have fallen in love now if they hadn't met 13 years ago.

“Maybe, if we get your ring back and give it to you, it might restore your missing memories.” Doc suggested, “As much as I don't believe in magic, it's the only logical solution I can think of. You couldn't have lost only your memories of Alex unless they were forcefully taken away from you, because selective amnesia wouldn't make sense in this situation.”

“Then get it back asap.” Doyle touched his head again, “I don't like this huge gap in my memory and I certainly don't like seeing Alex this way!”

“I'm fine...” the spy tried weakly. Feeling that a fight was about to break out, the Saturdays fled.

“No, you're not!” the redhead snapped, then softened, even though Alex hadn't flinched or moved away from his roar, “Sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you, I just want you to know that you're not fine, whatever's going on with you right now is not right.”

“I'm always like this.”

“Judging by their looks, I don't think that's right.” Doyle gestured to where his family went, “Why are you lying? There's nothing to worry about!”

“You don't-” Alex took a breath, “You used to understand when you knew, but now you don't. You knew things that you shouldn't have and I'm not going to put you through that again.” He stood up.

“Wait!” Doyle tried to get to his feet, but was too tired to do so, his side wound also catching him, “I'm going to remember once they get my ring back, so why don't you just tell me again? Alex? Alex!” The spy closed the doors on the Medical Bay, a dark hardness now set in his eyes. He was going after the Mondays but had to do something first. Going to his and Doyle's room, he grabbed his iPod and brought it back to Medical, as well as some earbuds.

“You're back! I thought you were going to leave-”

“I am, but I had to play this for you first.” Alex handed the iPod to Doyle, “I know you can't follow me, you're too weak right now, so please just stay here and listen to the lyrics. It's called _G. I. N. A. S. F. S._ and it...really seems to fit the situation between you and I right now.” Doyle opened his mouth to ask what Alex meant but found the other gone, the doors closing behind him. Seeing no other choice but to do as Alex requested, The redhead put in the earbuds and began to listen.

_I've loved everything about you that hurts_  
 _So let me see your moves_  
 _Let me see your moves_  
 _Lips pressed close to mine, true blue_  
  
_But the prince of any failing empire knows_  
 _That everybody wants_  
 _Everybody wants to drive on through the night_  
 _If it's the drive back home_  
  
_Things aren't the same anymore_  
 _Some nights it gets so bad_  
 _You almost pick up the phone_  
  
_Trade baby blues for wide-eyed browns_  
 _I sleep with your old shirts_  
 _And walk through this house in your shoes_  
 _I know it's strange_  
 _It's a strange way of saying_  
 _That I know I'm supposed to love you_  
 _I'm supposed to love you_  
  
_I've already given up on myself twice_  
 _Third time is the charm_  
 _Third time is the charm_  
 _Threw caution to the wind_  
 _But I've got a lousy arm_  
  
_And I've traced your shadows on the wall_  
 _Now I kiss them whenever I'm down_  
 _Whenever I'm down_  
 _Figured I'm not figuring myself out_  
  
_Things aren't the same anymore_  
 _Some nights it gets so bad_  
 _I almost pick up the phone_  
  
_Trade baby blues for wide-eyed browns_  
 _I sleep with your old shirts_  
 _And walk through this house in your shoes_  
 _I know it's strange_  
 _It's a strange way of saying_  
 _That I know I'm supposed to love you_  
 _I'm supposed to love you_  
  
_Born under a bad sign_  
 _But you saved my life_  
 _That night on the roof of your hotel_  
 _Cross my heart and hope to die_  
 _Splinter from the headboard in my eye_  
 _Photo-proofed kisses I remember so well_  
  
_Trade baby blues for wide-eyed browns_  
 _I sleep with your old shirts_  
 _And walk through this house in your shoes_  
 _I know it's strange_  
 _It's a strange way of saying_  
 _That I know I'm supposed to love you_  
 _I'm supposed to love you_

Unable to make up his mind about the lyrics, allowing them to repeat over and over, Doyle wondered what the acronym meant. He turned over the iPod and, on the other side, was a bent sticky note. He unfolded it to see the acronym spelled out:

_Gay Is Not A Synonym For Shitty_

Doyle found that he couldn't agree more, though his heart seemed to understand more than his mind did.

* * *

_'Trade baby blues for wide-eyed browns... Trade baby blues for wide-eyed browns...'_

The lyric, that single line, kept repeating itself over and over again in his head. It was ominous, but it told the truth in a way, as far as he could tell: he would have to trade himself, his wide-eyed browns, for Doyle's memories, the baby blues. It was switching around the lyrics a bit, but it still applied. And, honestly, if he had chances to do this over and over and over again, Alex would chose the same every time. Doyle was worth much more than he ever would be.

After taking the Griffon, Alex flew to Venice, Italy and headed straight for the Murano Glass Museum. Upon arriving, he decided to scout the place before going straight in, nervous that he was in Venice again after so long. He might meet his counterpart and possibly unleash him, but Alex couldn't stand Doyle not knowing who he was. It was worse than Doyle dying, because at least Doyle knew who he was if he died. But now, if he did die, he wouldn't know Alex at all. This wasn't a thought to whether he would be remembered, but more towards the person he loved at least knowing him and loving him.

“I'm sorry I had to leave.” Alex muttered to himself as he sat on the roof of a nearby building, almost as if Doyle was there to listen, “I know I said I wouldn't leave you, that Doc showed me that it wasn't the right way to go about things, but this is worse than you being sick. I have to do this, whether you want me to or not.” With that, Alex stood up and turned away, now wanting to make his move and get this over with. He didn't realize, however, the he was being watched and that the Mondays knew he was coming.

It didn't take long to get into the museum, especially not with his credentials, and soon enough Alex found himself alone with the mirror. It was pure black and Alex could barely see himself on the surface of the black mirror. He frowned, wondered how he was supposed to cross over, and slowly, carefully reached out a hand. As soon as he touched the glass, nothing happened. Usually an alarm would have gone off at the touch, but Alex had assured the staff that he wasn't going to take it, he only needed to touch and examine it. Alex had hoped some sort of mystical thing would have happened as soon as he touched it, but he supposed his hopes had been too high. After all, if it activated any time someone touched it, it would have been left behind in the jungle after the Saturdays found it.

He had started to bring his hand away when, suddenly, a wave of green moved over the surface of the mirror and a hand reached out to grab his. Instantly his instincts told him to fight the tug, but he couldn't if he wanted to help Doyle, so he allowed himself to be dragged into the Anti-Matter World. He didn't land on his feet, much to his irritation, but he was quick enough to get back up before something happened, and he found himself staring at who he could only assume were the Mondays. Well, at least Drew and Doc, who didn't look that much different from their counterparts. He glanced behind him to see that the mirror was still glowing green, allowing him to go back if he so wished, but he couldn't until he got what he came for.

“Hi!” Doc Monday waved until Drew Monday smacked his hand, causing him to stop.

“Don't make friends with the enemy!” she hissed, then turned back to Alex, “We know why you came after us, Rider, and I have to say that you have guts for coming alone, twice. Blackwell really does mean a lot to you, huh?”

“Cut the talk.” snapped Alex, “Give me back the rings so that this can all end.”

“Not until we have our revenge, and I like how things are going.” said Drew, “After what happened to Doyle, you're certainly not yourself.”

“I will take the rings by force if I have to.”

“Oh, I know you will, but I want revenge for what the Saturdays did to my son!”

“It's not their fault, it's their Argost's. He's the one that killed your son.”

“No, it was that pathetic excuse for a boy, that Saturday kid, that killed him!” It seemed Drew was not willing to listen to reason, so Alex decided to change tactics.

“Then why haven't you tried to hurt me to hurt the Saturdays?” Alex smiled darkly, “Or is it because you can't? Is it because there's something wrong with my soulstone and there's no way for you to fix it?” Judging by how Drew's face darkened, Alex knew he had gotten it right, where he then made his face even as he said, “If that's the case, then I'm willing to give you a trade.”

“What?” Now this was something Drew hadn't been expecting. Sure, she though Alex was going to fight tooth-and-nail to get Doyle's memories back, but she didn't know he was willing to trade his life for it.

“I'll trade you something else of mine to control me, something even closer to my heart than that ring, if you'll give me back both rings. Then you can hurt me and in turn, you;ll hurt the Saturdays, just like you want.”

“But that won't hurt too much, will it?” asked Doc, “Isn't Doyle closer?”

“You make a good point for once in your dim-witted life.” Drew spoke, nodding to Doc's words, “Why should we trade when we're hurting the Saturdays like this?”

“Then why don't you make Doyle's ring into a soulstone again? Or is that also something you found that you couldn't do?” Alex dug in his pocket and pulled out his wallet, searching inside for something, “You can't hurt Doyle again now that the ring is useless to you, otherwise you would have tried again instead of waiting for me. You know as well as I do that for some reason, my soulstone doesn't work and you can't use Doyle's again. That only option you have left now is to get something else from me, make it into another soulstone, and hope it works. I'm willing to give you what you need for that if you'll give me back the rings. I'm not trying to swindle you out of this, either, this is a fair deal.” Alex finally pulled out the picture of himself and Jack and gripped it tightly, unwilling to let it go, “And to make this even more fair, we'll trade at the same time. I'm not going to leave here without those rings, you know.” Drew contemplated Alex's words as they all waited, tilting her head.

“...I wish that oversized handbag was here to make sure that things won't go wrong, but alright.” Drew took out of her pocket Doyle's ring and the brown stone that presumably held Alex's ring, “A test of good faith. I'll throw these to you if you'll let go of that picture.”

“...Deal.” And Alex saw Drew throw the rings, where he then let go of the picture without a second thought. He imagined he would have held onto it longer, but he didn't, and that's what surprising him the most. He stepped back to catch the rings and did so, but his backward momentum didn't stop and he fell back into the mirror, disappearing back into his world. Drew walked over and took the picture from the ground and examined it with contempt.

“This looks like the real deal.” she turned to her husband, “Let's hope we can get a bigger kick out of this than we did with the last two.”

* * *

With the rings in hand, Alex made it home with almost no one the wiser. It wasn't hard for almost no one to notice his leaving, as Drew and Doc had been arguing about how to approach the Venetians about asking for the mirror and Doc had also been double-tasking, asking for some contractors to repair their walls after Abbey's break-in. The only one who knew Alex had left was Doyle and, as he entered the Medical Bay, he saw that Zak and Fisk probably knew as well, since they were by Doyle's side. All three looked up when Alex came in and relief showed on their faces to see that he was home without a scratch.

“Seriously, you're worse than Doyle!” Zak exclaimed as he gave a hug to Alex, “You keep disappearing and reappearing without letting anyone know where you're going! I know I sound like my mom when I say this, but I don't want you to get yourself killed!”

“You don't have to worry so much.” Alex spoke with a smile as he sat on the side of Doyle's bed after prying Zak off his legs, “I know it sometimes seems like I won't survive, but I always do. It's a part of my luck and the only worry I really have is how many injuries I get every time.”

“You seem better.” Doyle noted, “Where did you go? Did you go after the Mondays again?” Alex nodded. Fisk made a gasp and murmured something, to which Zak translated, “Fisk wants to know how you got to them. Did you use the mirror?” Once again, the spy nodded and Zak frowned.

“But how...?” Zak shook his head, “Nevermind, did you get the rings back?”

“They're right here.” Alex held out his hand. Taking Doyle's ring, he handed it to the ex-mercenary, who hesitantly took it. As soon as it was in the safety of Doyle palm, it glowed bright blue and nearly blinded all of them, despite how much of the glow was covered by Doyle's closed hand. Soon enough it died down, allowing them to look around again, and Alex suddenly found himself engulfed in a hug. Doyle was crying into his shoulder and Alex wasn't quite sure why and tried to pull back, but Doyle wouldn't let him budge.

“Oh god, Alex!” he cried, “Alex, you don't know how good it is to remember you! I didn't say it before in front of everyone because I didn't know why, but the way I was didn't feel right. There were so many gaps and I was afraid I had amnesia and I didn't know who you were and it was just awful! There was this ache, a terrible terrible ache, and I didn't know how to fix it, and it got worse when you weren't there, and I knew it had to do with you but I didn't know why.” Doyle gave a sniff, “It makes me feel like I took you for granted, even though I didn't, and it made me realize how different I could have been if you weren't there. You saved me life and you showed me things I would have never learned on my own, and without all that... I don't even want to think about what I would have been. Maybe I would have never lived past 20, maybe I wouldn't have learned how to defend myself, and maybe I would be a completely different person. It just shows you how much a single person can change things, huh?”

“You're babbling.” said Alex, though he was smiling and hugging back, relieved that he had his Doyle back, the one who remembered him and loved him. Doyle barked out a small laugh.

“Yeah, I know.” he hugged Alex tighter, “I'm just so glad to remember you again.”

“Me too, love, me too.” Zak and Fisk were just about to make their getaway and leave the two men alone when Alex held out a hand, “Hold it you two.”

“I didn't do anything! It was Fisk!” exclaimed Zak, his default mode for being singled out. Fisk babble and shook his head, pointing back at Zak as if to say it was all Zak's fault. Alex and Doyle shared chuckles as they pulled away to look at the two boys, Doyle wiping away the tears in his eyes.

“Listen,” Alex began, throwing his soulstone to the floor and stomping on it to free his ring, “you two aren't in trouble. However, don't spill a word of this to anyone. Doc and Drew will find out because Doyle will have his memory back, but I don't want anyone else to know about how close Doyle and I are. It's a security nightmare if the wrong person finds out about us, and though you two already know it, I just wanted to make that extra clear. Understand?”

“Yes sir!” Zak and Fisk saluted and it made Doyle and Alex smile wider, Alex leaning down to pick up his ring from what was left of the smashed stone.

“Now that I've got this back, I'll need to get my ear pierced again.” Doyle raised a hand to tug at his ear, where the second, lower hole was now gone.

“And I'll need to find a new chain for this.” Alex moved his ring around in his hand, “And I think your hand has healed up enough now, hasn't it?”

“I guess, it doesn't hurt that much anymore.” Doyle closed his hand in the splint and, though he felt a bit of pain, it was manageable, “You can take it off.”

“Good.” Alex spoke, beginning to take the splint off, “I think, now that you're mostly back to normal, we'll be on our way to Venice first thing in the morning to deal with the Mondays, which will at least tie up one loose end of this whole ordeal.”

“One loose end? You mean there's more than this?” asked Zak, to which Alex nodded.

“The Gray Men are making their move soon, I believe. They want me for a reason that I can't explain to any of you yet, but it's an important one and deals with Francis.” Alex gave Zak a look, knowing that the tanned boy knew something about Francis, “I just hope they won't make it until after we're done with the Mondays. Same thing with Scorpia.”

“But the Mondays won't stop until they either have their revenge or, if we've got the right idea, they have their son back.” said Doyle.

“The best we can do is cut off their connection to this world, at least until we can find Zak Monday and bring him back to his parents.” Alex answered.

“If he's alive.” Zak added solemnly.

“Let's just hope he is so that we can end this feud without any bloodshed.” Doyle flexed his hand again once it was completely free from the splint, “I don't want anyone else to die, not after the almost-war with Argost. I lost someone close to me and we nearly lost Zak, I don't want to lose someone else.” To help reassure Doyle, Zak moved to sit beside him on the bed and lean on his side. Doyle wrapped an arm around the boy in gratefulness.

“We won't let it happen.” Alex told him, “I promise.”

“And I hope you keep it this time.” Doyle said, “Because sometimes I wonder how much that word means to you, with how much you say it and break it.”

“You know I never mean to break any promises. And I always mean them, because the last people who promised me something kept breaking those promises. I'm not like them, Doyle, and I never will be.”

“Mm...” Doyle didn't do anything to indicate he agreed, “By the way, how did you manage to get the rings back from the Mondays?”

“They're tough to beat even for everyone together.” added Zak, also curious. Fisk wondered what Alex would say and perked his ears to listen. Having everyone's attention on him, Alex spoke the lie with ease.

“I fought and slipped past them to grab the rings.”

“You don't look like you've been in a fight.” noted Doyle.

“They're slower than their counterparts. Plus, it also took a while for me to jet back here.” Alex pointed out.

“Not Drew Monday, with that tongue of hers.” said Zak.

“You'd be surprised at what I can do.” Alex said, “You've never really seen me fight, have you Zak?”

“Actually, no, I haven't. I don't think Mom and Dad have seen you fight, either.”

“Maybe we could practice a bit on the way over to Venice.” Doyle suggested. Alex shook his head.

“Maybe I'll do it with the Saturdays, but not you. You, Peter Pan, need to rest your hand!”

“Peter Pan?” Zak and Fisk began to snicker as Doyle blushed.

“I thought I told you not to use that!” Alex shrugged.

“We're closer now, aren't we? I thought it would be nice to use it again.”

“Not in front of these two!”

“Too late now!” giggled Zak.

* * *

Elsewhere, it was morning in Venice as a couple got up for the day, since arriving the day before. As the woman got up to fix breakfast the phone began to ring and the man get up to answer it. It was also from his private phone, so he knew it was important.

“This is Gekko.” the man laid on his back as he listened to the other side.

“All of the Saturdays are coming, including Rider. Your move.” The call ended as quickly as it had appeared and Gekko smiled.

“Ross, who was that?” asked the woman, peeking her head into the room. The man stood up and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Nothing, Sab.” he assured, “Let's try and have a good vacation, huh?”

“Just as long as you leave you job alone, alright? I don't want to head home for a sudden criminal case you have to look over.”

“Don't worry about it, I promise this is going to be a normal vacation.” _With the exception of your adopted brother's death._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Venice has a 9 hour time difference from California.
> 
> 2\. I didn't plan on G.I.N.A.S.F.S. working so well for this chapter but it did and I couldn't resist.
> 
> 3\. Gekko is a real last name, I think. If not, it makes a good alias.
> 
> 4\. It's been so long since Doyle's earring went missing that the hole in his ear where it used to be is now healed up. If he wants to wear it again, the hole will need to be made again.


	25. Never Yours

After getting chewed out once again (how many times were they going to get in trouble with Doc and Drew?) and making sure that they were all certain about heading to Venice, everyone got ready for bed, but not everyone was ready to sleep. In fact, even as Alex laid down to sleep, Doyle was still up, messing with the puzzle box. The redhead had wanted to work on his laptop, but didn't dare with someone else around. There were too many important things on there that he didn't want _anyone_ to see, not even Alex.

“Doyle...” the blond began after a while, his eyes closed, “Please go to sleep.”

“I know, but I'm nervous.” Doyle switched the box from hand to hand, almost in a juggling way, “I don't know why.”

“You shouldn't be so nervous.” said Alex, “In fact, _I_ should be the more nervous one.”

“Why?”

“Venice was where I found Scorpia and, just off-shore, it was where I was trained.” Doyle paused at this.

“Then why _aren't_ you nervous? We know Scorpia still exists, and they're still after you. They might still be there.”

“I know.” Alex opened his eyes and turned onto his back, looking over at Doyle, “I'm worried beyond measure about that, about how I'm supposed to protect everyone, but I don't know what to do. I'm probably going to have nightmares tonight all about it or not get any sleep while thinking over it.”

“No you won't.” Setting the box aside, Doyle tugged Alex close, “All of us can protect ourselves, and I know you think that Scorpia's too much for us, but trust me when I say that we're better than you think we are. Fighting cryptids isn't exactly a profession for everyone, you know.”

“I get that.” Alex gripped Doyle's new t-shirt loosely, “But I don't want to lose anyone. You don't, either.” He turned and pushed his face into Doyle's chest, the only sign of his nervousness, “They taught me more about how to kill than anyone else I know. They want me and everyone I love dead. They haunt my nightmares and, now that they're back, every waking moment. They are my greatest enemy and my greatest fear. You don't know what that's like and I hope you never do.” The redhead sighed and hugged Alex, moving one hand to turn the light off before returning to keep the spy close. To help Alex relax, Doyle kissed the top of his head, touching the blond hair. He wasn't ready to kiss Alex on the lips just yet, but he was willing to kiss Alex if it would help his ex calm down. Alex, however, didn't relax, and Doyle resigned himself to having to deal with a tense Alex all night long.

* * *

“Why didn't it work?” the old woman looked up as two of the Mondays entered her shop. Drew was snarling as Doc stood back, either to observe or not get caught up in the impending incidents, the woman didn't know.

“What do you mean?” asked the old woman.

“The jasper stone didn't even work, no matter what we did!”

“But the sapphire one did?”

“Yeah, but what's your point?”

“Several things. Either you didn't get something important enough, or you didn't ask for the right birth month.” This surprised Drew.

“Jasper is a birthstone for more than one month?”

“Yes, it works for both February and March. Didn't you know?” Mentally noting to strangle Komodo later, Drew shook her head.

“Then what about this? Can you enchant this for February?” Drew slid over the picture Alex had given to them.

“Of course, but it'll cost a bit.” Drew grumbled and took out more Euros from her pocket.

“You're lucky we're rich. How much?”

“500.”

“Here.” Drew slid the payment over to the old woman, “Make that stone as fast as you can.” And then she left with Doc in tow. Now, though he was by no means as smart as his counterpart, he wasn't completely brain-dead, either, though he had tried to convince his counterpart of that.

“Was that a good idea?” he asked Drew. She scoffed.

“Of course it was! We're going to get revenge on the Saturdays one way or another!”

“But was that the right month?” asked Doc, “We can't make another stone out of something that's been used, right?”

“No, but I'm certain of this. If jasper only works for two months, then this time it should be right.” Komodo had done some research into birthstones when they had learned of the soulstone curse, but it was hard to get information from the Matter World until he completed his invention. The best they could do was ask Doyle Whitewell, and he had only given them his own birthdate, which Drew already knew. He wasn't able to give Alex's, however, because as soon as he learned that his counterpart had joined up with Rider, he fled in a panic for a reason unknown to the Mondays. Briefly they had considered using their own birthdates to make soulstones for their counterparts but then decided against it, just in case the soulstones also affected them.

“Alex is tricky.” Doc pointed out.

“So are we.”

“But-” Drew was getting tired of his questioning and turned on him.

“Why are you so convinced that we're going to lose? Don't you want revenge too?”

“Yeah, but-”

“Then stop questioning me!” she turned away, “Let's go home, _now_.” Doc followed, if unwillingly, and a frown was on his face, he was getting tired of being bossed around by the others, mainly Drew and Komodo, and was thinking of taking matters into his own hands.

* * *

“Whoa.” was the first thing Zak said at breakfast when Doyle arrived, “You don't look so good.”

“No way, Sherlock.” Doyle looked really tired, with a slight shade under his eyes to indicate that he had gotten little to no sleep. Alex, on the other hand, looked perfectly fine, despite also having stayed up the same amount of time.

“How did you not get any sleep?” Drew asked worriedly.

“It was my fault.” Alex admitted, “Venice is a bit of a...dangerous place for me and he was trying to help comfort me last night. When I couldn't get to sleep, he didn't get any, either.”

“I would have ignored it...” Doc muttered until he was jabbed in the ribs by his wife, where he rubbed his side and added, “I suppose I deserved that.” All he got was a glare in return.

“You two should catch a nap on the airship.” Drew continued, “We promise not to bother you.”

“Even if you did that for me, it wouldn't be any good.” Alex said, “Not when I know I'm going back to Venice.”

“You've been there before?” asked Zak, wondering what kind of stories Alex might have to tell about the place. The blond nodded.

“Yassen Gregorovich, my father's apprentice, was an assassin for Scorpia and sent me there on his deathbed. I was curious and I went, where I found out a lot of things I wished I never learned.” Alex rubbed a hand over his face, “Venice was, once upon a time, Scorpia's headquarters. I'm afraid that, now that they're back, you might all be targets.”

“I told him that we could handle ourselves in a fight, but he didn't get any rest over it.” Doyle yawned, leaning on his arms sleepily. Alex nudged him to keep him from going to sleep but Doyle waved him off and Alex rolled his eyes.

“I can see why you would worry, but Doyle's right, Alex.” said Doc, “We can handle ourselves. Though, on the other hand, from what we've seen, Scorpia might be more than we bargained for.”

“Exactly my point. I have no living relatives and I don't trust anyone short of Doyle, Ben, and a few others, so losing any or all of you would be like losing my family once again.” Alex shook his head, “You have no idea what I felt when I lost the last person in my family, and I don't just mean by how I hurt. A lot of things happened when I lost her, and I don't want to go through it again. I wouldn't be able to take it if I did.” Alex moved a hand to rest on Doyle's head, where the bigger man didn't move because he was sleeping, “Please understand that a lot more is being put on the line with all of us going to Venice together.” Alex gave a smile, but it was on a darker side, “And with my luck, someone's going to die.”

“Don't say that!” Drew scolded, “We know there are risks, but you're now part of our family. You may not think you are, but we think so, and once you're in our family, we leave no one behind. Got it?” Drew softened, “You're not alone anymore, Alex. And no matter how much you push us away, we'll stay by your side.”

“...Don't make this harder than it has to be.” Alex said, voice emotionless, “I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me and my luck. You may not think you'll get hurt, but you will and then it'll all be on my head. I know it'd be bad for me to leave, but sometimes I have no other choice.”

“Not unless we keep you from leaving.” Zak spoke, and Alex suddenly got the feeling they had prepared for this situation. When he smiled this time, it was with happiness.

“People after my own heart.” Alex nodded, “I'll come, but don't say I didn't warn you.”

“We understand.” Doc said, “But if you try to leave, we'll do anything we can to make sure you stay.” The cryptids, all there of them, nodded and sounded off to show that they would also do what they could to keep Alex with the family.

“I have no doubt that you would.” Alex frowned, “Just keep an eye out, at least. There's no telling what could happen while we're there. We need to be in and out as soon as possible just to make sure, alright?”

“Okay.” Now that things were settled, Alex was sure he could now take a nap in comfort. He also shoved Doyle out of his chair to wake him up and finish breakfast, causing others to chuckle while Doyle made a sound similar to that of a startled goose. He quickly got to his feet, shook his head, and glared at Alex, who was smiling.

“You could have just kicked me or something, you know.” the redhead growled. Alex shrugged.

“What would be the fun in that?” Doyle rolled his eyes at Alex before going on to eat some breakfast.

* * *

Alex and Doyle didn't have long to nap on the airship before they landed in Venice. Despite the reassurances from his family, Alex was still nervous that his luck would kick in and he would lose someone. He didn't want that to happen, but what could he do?

“If you stay on the airship, I'll drag you out myself!” Doyle playfully threatened when he noticed Alex didn't want to leave. Knowing that Doyle would act on his threat, Alex had no choice but to venture into Venice for the third time in his life. Though he had only been there a day ago, it seemed so much longer, and he smiled as he saw the Saturdays look around at the sights amazed.

“Have _none_ of you been to Venice before?”

“Actually, no.” said Doc, “We've been everywhere else, but never here.”

“Venice is an interesting place when you're not being hunted down by a terrorist organization.” Alex sighed, “I wish I could give you a tour, but we can't stay long, just in case.”

“You sure we can't stay a _little_ while?” pleaded Zak.

“No.” Zak opened his mouth again, but Doyle stopped him.

“You're not gonna win with him, Zakman. Trust me, I've tried.” Zak raised an eyebrow.

“Maybe you didn't try hard enough.” Doyle shrugged.

“Suit yourself. If you can get past this brick wall,” he pointed his thumb over his shoulder at Alex, “I'll be surprised.” The blond rolled his eyes and knew he now had two people to ignore.

“Knock it off boys.” Drew warned, “We can't stay long, no matter how much you plead.”

“We're going in, destroying the mirror, and then getting out.” Doc added, “As much as would love to see more of Venice, we can't at the moment.”

“I just wonder how the Mondays are able to use it.” Zak mused.

“What do you mean?” asked Doyle.

“...Did I forget to mention that the mirror was destroyed after Argost took Zak Monday's powers?”

“But if that's true, then he must have left a replica in its place and for some reason, it works the same as the original mirror.” Alex said, “After all, I was drawn into the mirror just yesterday.”

“My guess is that Komodo Monday found someway around that.” Doc surmised, “He's very very smart and I wouldn't put it past him.”

“Maybe, but the only Mondays that were there were Drew and Doc. I never saw any of the cryptids, and I know they'd want to be there.” Alex frowned, “Something might be going on in the Anti-Matter World.”

“As long as it keeps the Mondays out of our hair, I don't see any reason why it would be a bad thing.” Doyle said, “Especially if they leave _me_ alone.”\

“Maybe so, but we should still be careful.” Drew said, “We still need to get rid of that mirror, if it has the same properties as the last one.”

“I can get you inside and able to get rid of it, but we'll need another reason to convince them.” Alex said, “Telling them it's a deadly magical artifact isn't going to cut it. And having it 'disappear' without a reason isn't good, so we'll need _another_ replica, just make sure it's not cursed this time.” Zak's and the cryptids' groans were audible. Alex shrugged, “A price to pay for being a spy, Zak. Luckily for you guys, I got part of that done earlier.”

“You did?” They were all surprised at this as Alex nodded, smirking. He didn't usually smirk, but he had good reason to.

“I know that we wouldn't be able to do anything about the mirror until we could get a normal replica to replace it, so I asked a friend of mine to make one and send it to the Hotel Conterie, which isn't far from the Murano Glass Museum. It's not far and should have already been delivered a few days ago, so that's one thing off the checklist done.”

“Over-prepared much?” Doyle quipped, having sort-of expected this.

“Moreso that you are, and you're a bit over-prepared yourselves.”

“...He's not wrong.” Drew slowly admitted sheepishly.

“At least that cuts down the time we have to stay here.” Doc said, “To help cut down more time, let's split into two groups. One of us will go pick up the replica mirror and the others will go convince the museum to let us deal with the cursed one. We can meet up at the museum and hopefully end this today.”

“We can take a gondola to get to both places.” said Alex, “Just follow me. Riding in the gondolas is both fun and isn't as slow as you'd think. This place is filled with canals, so sometimes it's better to take the waterways to get somewhere than going on foot.”

“Cool!” cheered Zak, “But who's going where?”

“I need to be in both places, to get the replica and to tell the museum about what we'll be doing, but we can work around that.” Alex said, “They know me, but they don't know any of you, so maybe you could look around for the mirror while I go and get the replica real quick. Like I said, it's not far from the museum, so it won't take long.”

“I'll come with you!” Zak said, wanting to get out of a boring museum visit. The cryptids hissed their agreement except for Zon, who joined Drew and Doc. She didn't think going to a museum was that bad.

“Then I guess Doc, Zon, and I will head to the museum.” Drew turned to her brother, “What about you, Doyle?” The redhead's gaze flickered between the two groups, unsure.

“I want to go with you guys to help keep you out of trouble,” Doyle pointed to his sister, niece, and brother-in-law before pointing to his ex-fiance and his nephews, “but I also don't want any of you going alone, just in case Alex's luck kicks in.”

“Then go with them, we'll be fine.” Doc assured, “Drew and I needed a little alone time, anyway.”

“Ew!” Zak stuck out his tongue and Alex nudged him to be quiet.

“Be nice.” he scolded Zak, but it was hard to scold someone when you had a smile on your face, “Then at least be careful, you three.”

“Alex, we're not children.” Drew said, “If anything, your whole group is children!”

“Hey!” said Doyle and Zak, Doyle adding, “I'm not a child!”

“You sure act like one.” said Alex.

“Aren't you supposed to be on my side?”

“Not when you're like this.” Alex turned back to Doc and Drew, “I mean it, though. You can never be too careful here, understand?”

“We've got it.” The family continued on until they got to a canal and Alex directed them to a gondola station as Zon took to the skies. He spoke to the gondolier in Italian before turning to the others, “He'll take Doc and Drew first, to the Murano Glass Museum, and another gondola should come by soon for the rest of us.”

“You didn't have to speak for us, I know Italian.” Doc said.

“It's fine, I just want to make sure we're all going where we need to get. Also, here are some bills to pay off the gondolier.” Alex handed a few pieces to Drew from his wallet, “I hope it'll be enough.”

“You're being a bit generous, Alex.”

“I want to make a good impression on my family, don't I?” Drew and Doc boarded the gondola at Alex's prompting and, before they left, he gave them a smile, “Don't worry. You guys convinced me not to worry and I'm doing my best. You should do the same, but keep an eye out.” And then they were off as Alex and the others waved goodbye.

* * *

“So this is the Hotel Conterie.” said Doyle as they approached the building. It hadn't taken them long to get there, but it taken a few minutes to convince the gondolier that no, Fisk and Komodo wouldn't eat him. Fisk certainly wouldn't, but Komodo was harder to argue for, but they managed and now they were at the hotel. Fisk said something and Zak translated, “Why here?”

“It's a hotel. Not exactly safe, but it's a place everyone knows and not a lot of people pick up things here.” Once they were close enough, Alex read the signs on the door and frowned, “Looks like no pets are allowed, which means Komodo and Fisk can't come with us.”

“But they're not-”

“I know they're not pets, but try telling that to the hotel manager.” Alex shook his head, “Well, only I need to go inside and get the replica, so the rest of you can stay out here. Got it?”

“Yeah, but be careful.” Alex gave Doyle a smile.

“When have I not?” Before the ex-mercenary could answer, Alex was inside the hotel. Unimpressed by the fancy décor, Alex went up to the front desk to ask for the replica package. As he waited for the concierge to grab it, he spotted someone in the lobby that he hadn't seen in years, and she had seen him too, rushing over with a man following right behind.

“Alex!” cried the brown-haired woman, hugging him tightly. He hugged back happily, glad to see that she was safe.

“Sabina! I hadn't expected to see you here!”

“Well, my husband and I came here on vacation.” she turned to the man who had followed her and gestured, “Alex, this is Ross Gekko, my husband. Ross, this is my brother, Alex.” The other man was the same height as Alex but with darker hair and a slightly stronger build, despite how concealing his clothes were. There was something about him that was setting off alarms in Alex's head, but nothing seemed to be wrong as Ross smiled and stuck out his hand for a shake.

“Nice to meet you.” he said in an American accent, “Sabina's told me so much about you. I wish you would have come to the wedding.” Alex shook the offered hand, a little wary.

“I was away on business. I'm glad the two of you seem happy together, though. What do you do for a living?”

“I'm a lawyer in the States.”

“I got a job as a journalist, like my dad.” said Sabina, “I'm not working, though, because this is _vacation_.” she frowned, “Why are you here, though? Are you working on your banker job?” Alex was glad for the cover, but he shook his head.

“No, I'm also on vacation with my own family.”

“You finally found someone? Are you married?!” Sabina was excited by this. Alex blushed.

“Well, not really... It's kind of complicated.” Finally the package arrived and Alex took it with a gracious 'grazie' before turning back to Sabina and Ross, “You can come with me and catch up, if you want. I'm heading over to the Murano Glass Museum and you can meet the rest of my family while I explain the circumstances.”

“I'd love to! What do you think, Ross?” He husband nodded, though Alex wished he hadn't.

“Sure, I'd love to come along too, if you don't mind.” Ross smiled, but Alex didn't believe it for a second. There was something about Ross that set off his instincts, but he didn't know what it was and he didn't want to put Sabina in danger if something happened, so for the moment, he left it be. The three walked out of the hotel and Alex found everyone waiting except Doyle, which set off more alarms.

“Where is he?” Alex whispered to Zak as he handed the mirror to Fisk.

“He ran off, but he looked terrified of something after he looked back into the hotel.” said the boy, “He went off that way.” Zak pointed and Alex nodded.

“I'll call him.” he turned to his sister and brother-in-law, “Not everyone is here, but this is Zak, Komodo, and Fisk.”

“Nice to meet you!” Sabina greeted happily, hugging each of them as Ross shook hands.

“We're a part of the Saturday family and Alex is in love with my uncle, Doyle!” explained Zak. Alex gave him a small glare for unleashing the piece of info in Ross' presence, but nothing seemed to happen to the lawyer. Maybe this meant nothing to him, he wasn't surprised, or something that the blond didn't know. Alex trusted his instincts, he'd have never been able to survive without them, so he was wondering what was setting off his instincts about this guy.

But his biggest question was, what had frightened Doyle so badly that it had caused him to abandon his nephews, who he would have defended with his life at any other time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The Hotel Conterie is a real hotel in Venice.
> 
> 2\. Ross plays a huge part in the story, especially for Doyle's past, as the next few chapters will show.
> 
> 3\. Jasper is actually an old birthstone for both February and March, but the magic of the soulstones is more situated on the month of birth than on what type of stone it is. If you don't have the right birth month, the stone doesn't work even if it shares itself with the right birth month. That's why nothing the Mondays did to Alex's soulstone worked, they didn't have the right birth month even though they had the right type of stone.
> 
> 4\. It's been a while since I've seen any episodes with the Mondays in them, but I think that Doc Monday is not completely stupid as the show says. Or, at least, that's my interpretation.


	26. Hope As It Flickers And Dies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Discussions of near-rape

_**Doyle was not a trusting person, especially after what happened with Alex, and his job in a strip club didn't make it any better. However, this new guy, Ross was his name, he was nice and kind to Doyle. He didn't try to bother Doyle or anything, he defended Doyle if something happened, but there was something about Ross that messed with Doyle's instincts. One of the few good things that came out of his relationship with Alex were his improved senses, and they were telling him not to trust Ross. But it was kind of hard with how Ross always flattered him and gave him presents. Ross hit on him differently than other people, it was in a nice way, but Doyle couldn't trust him. What happened with Alex made it clear he wasn't going to try love again for a while. He had made that clear to Ross, so the other man had suggested that they be friends. That Doyle could do, but his instincts still went off around Ross for no apparent reason, so he didn't completely trust the shorter man just yet. Things were about to change, however, as the two of them relaxed behind the strip club where Doyle worked. Ross wanted a smoke, but know Doyle didn't like it, so they just stood there, leaning against the wall.** _

**_“Sweetheart-”_ **

**_“Don't call me that.”_ **

**_“-how about we go out for dinner once you're done? It's not going to be a date or anything, but you need something nice after all the harassment you've gotten.”_ **

**_“I don't know...” Doyle glanced down at Ross, frowning, “Only if it's a fast food place.”_ **

**_“Don't you trust me?”_ **

**_“In all honesty, no.”_ **

**_“I promised you that we would be friends. This is all that is.” Ross gave him a smile, as if Doyle's distrust didn't disturb him, and held out a hand, “Shall we?” Doyle didn't answer, but did get off the wall and begin walking. It wasn't his shift at the club, it had just ended, so he could do whatever he wanted. Ross followed and guided him to a nearby McDonald's and ordered for the two of them. Doyle, feeling bored, didn't watch as Ross got the food, but soon the other returned and they left together, eating and drinking._ **

**_“I still can't believe you only wanted a water.” spoke Ross, “Why not something sweet?”_ **

**_“I don't like those kinds of drinks and you know that.” Doyle muffled a yawn. It was night and he was feeling tired, especially from how much work his job asked of him._ **

**_“Need a nap?” Ross wondered. Doyle shook his head._ **

**_“I can take a break at home. It's not far.”_ **

**_“Suit yourself. Let me help you back-”_ **

**_“I can get it done just fine.” Doyle glared and, after taking his half of the food, left Ross alone. Though his apartment wasn't far away, his exhaustion seemed to hit him harder than usual, despite the energy he was getting from his food. And it was because of this sudden exhaustion that he didn't notice someone tailing him as he went home._ **

**_He was struggling to keep his eyes open as he unlocked his apartment door and locked it back. He didn't know why he was so tired, but it wouldn't matter after he got some sleep. He didn't have the energy to take off his clothes and just collapsed to his crappy bed, asleep before his head touched the pillow. He was too deep asleep to hear the door to his apartment be unlocked and opened as someone else entered the area. The intruder was smiling as he locked the door back with a copy of Doyle's key._ **

_**“** **I'm surprised it didn't take long for the drug to kick in.” he muttered softly, despite knowing Doyle was dead asleep, “He should have known I didn't take 'no' for an answer.”** _

* * *

Doyle panted, both trying to catch his breath and slow down his frightened heart. His hand grasped his chest as he saw memories flash by his closed eyes. The reason he had ran was because he knew _exactly_ who Ross was, and he was more terrified than he had been in years. Ross had been _the one that got away_ , the only person Doyle ever wished dead (besides Argost), and though Ross hadn't exactly raped him, he still left Doyle with mental scars.

 _And if he's here, then I have to run._ Doyle thought, continuing to pant, _I'm not safe as long as he's around. But I taught him a lesson, so everyone else should be fine, right? Right..._ He opened his eyes and, knowing that Alex and the boys would meet up with the rest of his family, decided to meet them there at the museum. He mentally crossed his fingers in the hope that Ross hadn't seen him and, if he had, what would the guy do? Last time they had seen each other, Doyle had made him run and nearly killed him. If anything, Ross should be scared of Doyle. It was a heartening thought, but the redhead doubted that it was true. He had known Ross, and the other man wasn't someone who showed his full intentions.

_I can never get a break, can I?_

* * *

After telling the museum of what the Saturdays had to do and getting the staff to believe them, Alex tried calling Doyle's phone again. When he got no answer, just like all the times he had tried before (4 in total, not including this time), he grew worried. He and the boys knew something had scared the sh*t out of Doyle, but what? Had it been Ross? Alex's instincts were almost never wrong, so what was the connection between Doyle and Ross? And why hadn't Ross reacted to Doyle's name if they knew each other? Alex was very observant, he was sure he should have seen _something_ , but for all his skill, there was nothing, not even a glint of recognition in Ross' eyes. If they had met, maybe Ross didn't remember Doyle, so maybe this was all nothing to worry over. But then why couldn't he stop worrying?

“Alex?” The blond looked up to see Sabina and her husband coming over to see him. Not wanting to worry her, Alex put away his phone and gave her a smile. However, she didn't seem to believe it, but didn't comment on it. Instead, she asked, “Still nothing?”

“Either something happened to his phone or he won't answer it.” Alex dropped the smile and sighed, “I don't know why he would run, though. Unless you scared him off.” Sabina gave Alex a light slap to the shoulder and he rubbed it in mock hurt.

“We all know I'm not the reason.” she softened, “And he's never done this before?”

“He has a... _tendency_ to run off a lot, like me, but never in fear.”

“So we've got another version of you on our hands. Great.” Alex smiled at her sarcasm, knowing she was trying to cheer him up.

“If I may?” Ross spoke up, continuing when they put their attention on him, “How are you so sure he was scared? If he runs off a lot, like you said, then maybe he did it again?”

“He wouldn't leave the boys behind.” Alex shook his head, “Look, let's just not talk about this. Doyle is a survivor and, whatever happened, I can talk to him about it later. There's no need to involve you guys in all this.”

“I know, but I'm your sister!” said Sabina, “I have every right to be worried about you and your boyfriend!” Alex blushed.

“Sab, he's not my boyfriend. Or, he used to be, then we were fiances and broke up, and now we're trying to get back together...”

“...You have a messed up love life, brother of mine.”

“Yeah, I know.” Ale looked to the doors of the museum and, to his relief, he saw Doyle enter, “I'll talk to you later!” He ran off before Sabina or Ross could protest, but they weren't just going to stay in place.

“If Doyle's so close to your brother, maybe I could buddy up to him?” Ross suggested as he and Sabina watched Alex and Doyle talk.

“Not now, after Doyle got so spooked-”

“We won't be long, maybe an hour or two, and we won't be far.” Ross gave her a smile, “I promise.” Sabina was tempted to deny his request, but his smile melted her resolve.

“Alright, but wait until they're finished talking, okay?”

“Deal.”

* * *

The second Doyle stepped into the museum, he knew it was a mistake. He could see the b*st*rd from here, he had to run. But, before he could fully exit, Alex had his wrist and was dragging him back.

“Let go!” Doyle pleaded, pushing Alex's hand off.

“What the h*ll were you thinking?!” Alex snapped, “You have no idea how worried I was when I tried to call you!”

“I turned my phone off so that he couldn't find me, okay?”

“'He?'” Alex frowned, “Who's 'he?'” Doyle grimaced.

“The guy you were just talking to.” Alex raised an eyebrow and was just about to glance back when Doyle stopped him, pulling him forward slightly by his shoulders. Alex didn't like the look of pure terror Doyle had in his eyes, “Don't look at him, don't give away that you know. You don't know how bad Ross is, but he's horrible.” Alex's eyes instantly darkened as a thought came to him.

“Did he rape you?!” he hissed.

“No, but he was the closest to doing it and he gave me the fear of sex that I got after leaving you. I wouldn't put it past him if he was also involved with Scorpia. Remember how I nearly killed Abbey, how I was so afraid to tell you that I killed people?” Doyle took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves, “The night Ross almost raped me, he unleashed something. Something I can't control, and it only comes out when people are trying to rape me. I don't know what it is, but because of it, I have killed countless people with the exceptions of him and Abbey, and he's the only one I wish I killed.” Doyle let go of Alex, “He's methodical and smart and ruthless. I need to leave before he takes a shot at me again. I just-” Doyle shook his head, but Alex could see the tears he held back, “I don't want to _die_ , Alex, and he can f*cking do that to me if he wanted!”

“I'm here, okay? I'm sure we can work something out-”

“Then do it quickly!” Doyle pleaded, then looked up in time to see that Ross was gone, “Oh f-”

“Hey, guys.” Doyle jumped as Alex whipped his head around to see that Ross had joined them. The man was smiling disarmingly, as if to charm them, but it wasn't working on Doyle. The redhead was back against the wall, shaking, and Alex knew that this wasn't right. Even though Doyle said not to let Ross know Alex was onto him, the blond stepped in between the two and put his body in a relaxed, defensive stance that didn't give away his readiness to fight.

“Shouldn't you be with Sabina?” Alex asked coldly. Ross raised an eyebrow.

“Weren't you chummy with me before? Or was that just for your sister's sake?” the man shrugged, “Either way, I just came over to talk and get to know you guys a little more. Especially Doyle, if he's going to be a part of your family.” Alex was tempted to bare his teeth, but held back. He was protective of Doyle, but now was not the time to show it.

“Well, you can do that later, can't you?”

“You guys might leave and I might not see you again.” Something briefly sparked in Ross' eyes and Alex knew the man was very good at masking his true intentions, “I don't wanna leave our relationship like this, y'know?”

 _Two can play at that game._ Alex dropped his stance and met Ross' eyes, “If you want that, then maybe you could go out with Doyle?” Alex didn't turn around when he heard the squeak or when he felt the intense glare on his neck, hoping Ross would take the bait.

“Where to?”

“Well, he needs to get a piercing done on his ear, just below where he has his ring, and we haven't had time to go out and have it done.”

“I could do it if I knew where the nearest piercing shop was.”

“I know where one is and guide you to it.” Doyle's glare was steadily intensifying as they kept talking and Alex knew he was in for it later. That was a price to pay for the plan that was coming together in his mind, but he hoped he wouldn't completely lose Doyle. He could stand a setback, but losing all of Doyle's trust and unable to get it back? He hoped he was playing his cards right and that that wouldn't happen.

“Alright.”

“Thing is, though, I was hoping we could all go together.” Ross smiled again.

“But you've got things to do, right? You need to work on the mirror with the Saturdays, so maybe he and I could just go without you.” Alex tilted his head, as if thinking. He knew what Doyle was thinking, though: _ARE YOU INSANE?!_ There was also a lot of cursing him out, Alex was sure.

“Well, only if Doyle-”

“NO.” Even though it came out more of a squeak, Alex knew there was venom and firmness in the response.

“Oh, come on, Doyle!” Ross grabbed one of Doyle's upper arms, causing the redhead to freeze as all the color drained from not just his face, but also much of his body. Alex nearly winced at the sight. Doyle was going to _**hate**_ him.

“It's called UnderSkin, it's a 40-minute drive from here.” Alex assured, “Be safe out there, okay?”

“We will!” Ross assured and dragged a helpless Doyle with him. Alex watched as Doyle sent him a pleading, desperate look, but did nothing until they were almost out of his sight. Then, he went after them, determined not to lose them, to not lose Doyle a second time.

* * *

Doyle didn't shut down until, after looking at Alex, pleading at him with his eyes, Alex didn't come get him, explain this was a ruse and take him away from this living devil. Alex just met his begging eyes with a cold look and everything seemed to shatter.

 _I trusted you..._ he thought, dimly aware that Ross was still leading him, _I trusted you, and you threw me to the lion. I hope you have a good reason for this, you son of a b*tch._

“Don't lag, sweetheart, we haven't got all day!” said Ross, tugging on Doyle. The ex-mercenary was too scared to fight back at the moment, but his mouth wasn't, and he knew that he had a bad habit of talking back at his enemies. He blamed the habit on Alex and his curious mind.

“W-what do you want?”

“Nothing. I'll tell you more once you get your piercing done.”

 _More like kidnap me again._ “Please, _let me go_.”

“Let something like you go? Never.” Doyle caught onto that one word and it made his frown.

“Don't you mean-”

“Nope.” Ross flashed hi a grin, “You're not human, you never could have done anything that you have if you were human.”

“What?” Doyle couldn't help blurt out the word. He didn't know why Ross sounded so assured, but it frightened him more than he already was, if that was possible. Ross didn't answer and hailed a cab that would take them to the place Alex had suggested, and Doyle wasn't able to make a sound of distress when he felt the familiar barrel of a gun press into his side.

 _D*mn spies and their hidden guns..._ Ross paid the huge fee and time seemed to fly by until they came to the shop. After stepping out of the cab, Ross put his gun away and Doyle mentally questioned it, but he had no need to ask. Ross answered him.

“You need to get your piercing, and I have _friends_ who know my real business and will make sure no one tries to help you if you try to escape.” Ross' smile was now much less disarming and a lot more lethal, “Understand, sweetheart?”

“Y-yeah...” Putting a hand on Doyle's lower back, Ross gently pushed the other man forward and into the shop. It didn't take long for him to get the pierce and Doyle put in his ring easily. He had missed it and it almost took away the gravity of the situation, but then he was reminded as Ross guided him out of the shop again.

“Look,” the smaller man began, “I'm not supposed to be after you. I was sent orders to deal with Rider, but I also heard the Saturdays were coming. I knew you'd be with them, so I decided to switch it around a little. Rider's not gonna leave you when he knows you're in danger, so I know I don't have to worry about him disappearing. Plus, as long as you're with me, I can do a few things I've been wanting to try since you went ballistic all those years ago.” Doyle's heart sped up again and he stifled a whimper.

“A-Alex isn't stupid.” Doyle pointed out.

“When you're not in the picture, that's true. But when you are, Alex is willing to do anything to get you back. Make deals with the devil, sacrifice himself, _anything_.” Ross gave a sigh, “I just hope Sab doesn't ask too many questions. She's a nice girl, makes a nice wife if you trick her into thinking you love her. I think I loved her once, before I realized you were still out there.” Ross must have had his face permanently wired to smile or grin because it seemed to stretch wider across his face, “I still want to finish what we started all those years ago. And you know my policy-”

“You never take 'no' for an answer.” Doyle said the words with contempt, wishing he didn't know them so well, but it was hard to get rid of old scars easily, “Where are we going next?”

“You'll see.” said Ross, and the redhead felt his heart drop. The smaller man grabbed his wrist and they were off again, and Doyle didn't have much, if any hope left.

“Why do you think I'm not human?” he suddenly asked, not quite sure why the words left his mouth.

“No human is as strong as you are, no human loses themselves to some sort of beast that lives in them. And most people don't have their children like you did.” Doyle froze. What Ross had just said put everything to a halt. He was filled with both fear and rage, and the rage won out as he grabbed Ross by the front of his shirt. He would have never done this, never been so brave, if it weren't for the mention of his son.

“You know?” Doyle growled. Ross was unfazed by this turn of events and nodded, still smiling.

“I'm not the only one.”

“Who else knows?”

“You'll see.” Doyle pinned Ross up against the nearest wall.

“Tell me.” Ross frowned.

“Let go of me or we'll have to do this the hard way, Doyle. You know how the hard way went last time.” Doyle ignored the threat and gave a small snarl, pressing Ross more into the wall. This caused the smaller man to wince.

“You really care about him, don't you?” When he only got a growl in return, Ross continued, “I don't really know how many people know, but Scorpia and another organization know. Before you ask, no, I don't know who the other organization is. Now, put me down.”

“Not likely.” Doyle took away a hand and curled it into a fist.

“Sweetheart...” Ross warned.

“Don't you _dare_ call me that!” Doyle was about to attack when he was suddenly pulled away and someone covered his mouth with a cloth. The sweet smell hit his nose and, before he could process what it was, he was out cold. Ross dusted himself off and looked to Doyle.

“I can barely believe he tried to attack me like that just because of his son.” he gave himself a shrug, “Eh. At least it showed me there are things that can overcome his fear besides his beast. Let's take him to the house and deal with him there.” Ross looked behind him as the two men picked up Doyle, feeling that someone was watching him. He knew who it was and, wherever they were, he gave them a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. UnderSkin is a real tattoo/piercing place in Venice.
> 
> 2\. Doyle is very protective of his son and the other organization that knows about his son will be revealed in a later chapter.


	27. Who I Am Is What I Hate

_“I'm sorry.” Alex muttered, treating the cuts on Doyle's wrists. The other man winced as the alcohol-soaked cottonballs dabbed at the cuts, but did nothing to stop the blond._

_“You had no choice.” he sighed, “It was the only way and we both know that.”_

_“How do you feel?”_

_“Bruised and battered, but better than what could've been.”_

_“There.” Alex wrapped Doyle's wrists with a small amount of gauze and nodded to himself, “As long as the cuts don't reopen and we give them enough time to heal, there shouldn't be any scars.” Doyle moved his hand away from Alex's lap and winced as it irritated his bruises. He was black and blue on his upper arms, not to mention his chest and thighs. There were also red rings around his ankles, but they hadn't been cut. Last night had been the first time Alex had to 'prove' he was having sex with Doyle. They didn't actually do it, but the only way to throw off the scent of the trafficking ring was to make Doyle look like he had been abused by Alex._

_“Mind if I just rest for the remainder of the day?” asked the redhead quietly._

_“Do whatever you want.” Alex said, then stood up from the couch and left the room. Doyle didn't watch him leave, the redhead stayed on the couch and laid down, wincing as his bruises were irritated. It had been a long night and he was tired, so he closed his eyes to try and catch up on sleep._

* * *

_“It's all my fault these are becoming scars.” Alex murmured as he rubbed his thumbs over the marks on Doyle's wrist._

_“Maybe so, but you had to.” Doyle reminded him, “It's part of your sting on the trafficking ring and I'm going along with it, so I'm just as guilty. They're as much my fault as they are yours.”_

_“And I hate that. I don't want you to get hurt because of what I've done, no one should be hurt because of me, but it always happens.” Alex let go of Doyle's wrist, “I think I'm becoming my own worst enemy when things like this happen. I have full control over this, but I never do anything to stop it. In fact, I tend to make it worse.”_

_“If you make things worse, then is saving my life counted in that?” Doyle crossed his arms, “You think you've done the worst things imaginable, but compare all that to how you've helped me. I know that there's still a lot you know that I don't and that it could overwhelm the good you've done, but I think you've done more good than bad. You've given me another chance at life, a better chance, and though some bad things have to happen, mostly it's good things that turn up at the end.” Doyle smiled slightly, “And I'd like to think that I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself. If not to other people, then only to you. You need to believe that you're better than you think, Alex. Bad things might happen around you, but that doesn't make you a bad person. You just have very bad luck.” Alex snorted._

_“That much I know for certain.” said the blond jokingly, but his mirth dropped as he went on, “But that bad luck has left me with no one, like I told you at Christmas. I'm alone because my parents were killed in an airplane bombing, my uncle was shot to death, my best friend died because of a car bomb...” Alex closed his eyes, “I've been alone for a long time, Doyle, partially because of my luck and partially because I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me. You're the only one besides Jack, my uncle, and my adopted family who's lasted this long. The only reason my adopted family is still alive is because I left them when I had the chance, so they wouldn't get hurt because of me. And, when this is all over-”_

_“You're going to leave me, too?” Doyle frowned as Alex nodded._

_“It's been a few months since we met, but I care about you and I don't want you to get hurt even worse because of me. It's-”_

_“Don't you_ dare _say it's the only way.” Doyle spat, causing Alex to look up, “You might think everything will be fine if you leave me, but it won't. I grew up in poverty, Alex, I have nothing to my name, no money, no food, not even the clothes I wear! I hate to say this, but without you, I would have been nothing. And, if you leave me behind after all this, I'm just going back to fighting every day to stay alive.” Doyle glared, “If you leave me, then that's your own choice, but it's going to be a bad one. I don't mean to guilt-trip you, but you know as well as I do that it_ will _happen if you leave. I'd like to see you as a good person, but if you leave me, then you won't be such a good person after all.” Doyle softened and put his arms down, “Please tell me you don't want that, that you want to be a good man. Because I_ know _you can be good, even if you don't think you can. Prove yourself wrong, okay? Prove to yourself that you can be good, despite how life's treated you.”_

_“Doyle...” Alex shook his head, “It's not that easy. I've done things, I've killed people-”_

_“But you didn't have a choice then. You were on a mission and you needed to get it done, you had no choice!”_

_“I had a choice. I just made the wrong one.”_

* * *

As soon as the fuzziness left Doyle's head, he was going to slaughter whoever did this to him, even if it wasn't intentional. Not the first time he got hit with chloroform and he hated how slow it made him feel. In fact, he shouldn't be able to remember his dream, and yet he did, if slowly. Why had he remembered those particular things, anyway? He was still mad at Alex for some reason. His head was too foggy to really remember why he was mad at Alex. He was also angry at himself for getting caught once again. He had good skills, yeah, but he let his guard down too much.

Groaning, he held his head as he sat up, finding himself in a bed. He was still dressed in his clothes, so nothing seemed to be wrong, but he knew otherwise. There were kinky people out there who loved to undress their prey... It made him shiver and he looked around, trying to get his bearings. If he had been captured again, like the times after Alex but before Van Rook, he knew that things were going to go bad very quickly. He had to get out of there, so he got to his feet as quickly as possible—and instantly regretted it as he was hit with a wave of nausea, forcing him to sit back on the bed again. Another thing he hated about chloroform: how sick it made him. Luckily the nausea passed without any harm and Doyle knew he had to take it slow, otherwise he was going to do himself more harm than good. Getting to his feet again, slower this time, he headed to the window, looking out. He had no fear of heights, but the dizzying drop was something that made him think twice, especially since he didn't have his jetpack. His gloves wouldn't be able to hold up his weight, either, so there was no way to exit out the window without serious injury. And that wasn't even taking into account that the window was bolted shut. Not with a regular lock, but with heavy-duty bolts screwed into the window jamb. Even if he wasn't weak from the chloroform, he knew he wouldn't be able to tear that up. Ripping apart a bed was one thing, but this window was something else. It even had a metal frame, probably steel. The glass might even be bulletproof.

Searching for another way out, Doyle looked for a vent in the ceiling, but there was none. That only left the door, and he wasn't keen on meeting whoever caught him again. A few minutes had passed, so he was a bit better, but he still couldn't remember the psycho that took him. He did remember, however, what he was angry at Alex about: leaving him to be taken by the psycho without another thought. But Doyle knew he wouldn't have been too mad at Alex if it was a normal person who turned out to be a psycho, so who grabbed him?

“Only one way to find out.” he muttered to himself, opening the door. Seeing who was on the other side, waiting patiently, he slammed it as his memories came back. Now he was f*cked.

“Sweetheart, c'mon!” Ross said from the other side as Doyle began piling things up against the door, “You've been asleep for hours, I want to show you what I've got planned!”

“Hell no!” Doyle shouted, voice wavering slightly as he propped the bed against everything else that was in front of the door. He tried the window, hoping it was an illusion, but nothing budged. His hand hurt after trying to bash the glass in, too, and he was lucky he hadn't broken his hand from that.

“You know you can't stay in there forever.”

“I'd rather die than let you do something to me again!” Doyle whimpered as he was hit by flashbacks, curling up into a ball in a corner of the room, “You thought I was 'special' and did horrible things to me, even before you knew I wasn't human! I'm not going through that nightmare again, you b*st*rd!” Doyle couldn't hear it, but he was sure Ross was shaking his head.

“Then I guess I'll have to go after Alex now, won't I? If you're not coming out, he's my biggest priority.” Doyle froze. Even though he hated Alex for betraying him, he couldn't let Alex die. He still loved Alex, and that wasn't going to change. He swallowed and called out to Ross, hoping he wasn't too late.

“Wait!”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“I-if I come out... will you let Alex live a little longer?”

“Why not ask me to spare him?”

“Because I know you won't. You're not like that. No good villain is like that.”

“Good point. Alright, I'll leave Alex alone for a while if you come out.” _And this time, I'm not pressing his berserk button._

“I know you, Ross, more than I ever hoped I would, and I know you'll keep that promise. You're insane, but you're loyal. And that's part of what makes you so terrifying.” Doyle admitted, “Before I come out, can I ask you something?”

“You're not stalling so you can break open the window, are you? Because that's bulletproof glass and you have a long way to fall if you do.”

“No, there's just one thing that occurred to me: why are you so obsessed with me?”

“Isn't it obvious? I'm insane.”

“That's part of it, yeah, but that's not the whole story, is it?” Doyle spoke, “We used to be friends before you tried to rape me. I know I could have been just another victim, but now all of this has happened. Are you still after me because of revenge, to learn why I'm not human... or because you're still in love with me?”

“...Don't make me answer that, sweetheart.”

“If you do love me, you show it in the worst kind of way. You've scarred me, you've drugged me _twice_ , you've felt me up as you tried to make me see all of that was right, but it wasn't. You loved me so much you tried to force me to see your views by Stockholm Syndrome-ing me, but it didn't work. And it's not going to work this time, either.”

“Doyle...” Ross' voice was low and warning, something the redhead knew he needed to avoid, especially since Ross used his name instead of the stupid, creepy nickname the terrorist gave him all those years ago, but his mouth wouldn't keep shut, his mind didn't want to be silent just yet.

“Tell me, Ross. Tell me why you're willing to hurt me if you love me so much? Don't people who love each other try to help one another?”

“You know as well as I do that that's not true because of Alex.” Ross shot back, “He's left you time and time again, and yet you still wait for him. If anything, _you're_ the sucker for pain.”

“...Maybe I am, but at least he hasn't tried to hurt me, unlike you. He has no choice when he hurts me, unlike you.” Doyle was beginning to cry, “All that you've done to me has almost broken me. I'm still not comfortable with trying to have sex with anyone and I had major trust issues for a long time. Even after I found my family again, it took me a _long_ time to trust anyone besides Zak and the cryptids. I didn't even trust my own sister! And that's partially. Because. Of. YOU.” Ross was quiet and Doyle waited for something to happen, anything, and he soon got his wish. He heard the door open on the other side of the barrier and didn't realize that the door opened from the other side. He still felt a little safe, that his barrier would keep Ross away, but he was once again proven wrong as furniture after furniture was taken out of the room, soon leaving a hole big enough for Ross to walk through. And he certainly didn't look happy.

“Dry your eyes, traitor, because we've got a lot of work to do to get that beast out of you.” Doyle was completely terrified now, couldn't think to listen to Ross' order, he knew that it was either fight or flight, and he had tried flight, which now only left fight. He kicked out and nearly hit Ross, who barely got out of range. Observing how tense and fearful Doyle was, Ross snarled.

“You're doing this to yourself, Doyle.” he took out a gun from a holster on his belt and checked the ammo, “If you had just gone along quietly...” He shook his head and shot Doyle. The man yelped and his hands scrambled to rip out the dart that had sunk into his arm, pulling it out, but it was too late; he already had some drug in his system, even if it would take a minute or two to take effect. Doyle curled more up into a ball, holding his legs to himself, and just stared at Ross, asking _'Why?'_ with his eyes.

“I'm sorry.” came the response as Doyle's eyes fluttered closed. There wasn't enough to knock Doyle out for good, but it left him semi-conscious, awake enough to feel himself being picked up and moved, but tired enough to not fight back or notice the passage of time. He definitely felt the pain in his arm, though, and he slowly became more and more awake, blinking open his eyes to see Ross there, and he jumped back with a yelp. Or, he would have, if he wasn't strapped to this chair, which was metal and bolted to the ground and held him still. Ross didn't look so mad now, and while still kind of out of it, Doyle's fear was depressed enough for him to question what was going on.

“What...?” he tugged at his metal bonds weakly.

“This is what I told you about.” Ross tapped a finger on Doyle's wrist, where there was a band over his pulse. There was a wire coming from it and Doyle was confused about why it was there, “This is to monitor your pulse and this,” The terrorist tapped at the side of Doyle's head, at a patch that the redhead couldn't see, “is to measure electrical impulses. We're going to see what brings out your beast and, if we can, we're going to take it out.” Doyle's eyes widened.

“No no no, don't!” he pleaded. He knew what brought his beast out and he didn't want to go through what it would take, he hated it so much.

“It has to happen, sweetheart.” Ross gave him a kiss, though Doyle kept his mouth shut and tried to turn his head away, “I love you, but I'm also a scientist, and I want to know what that thing is that resides in you, that makes you so vicious.”

“Please, don't!” Doyle was crying, trying to tug harder and break his bonds.

“And once it's gone...” Ross smiled, “Once it's gone, I can have you for good and you won't fight back.” He dropped his hand down, sliding from Doyle's chest to his leg and finally, to the redhead's crotch, and only had to press before he got a response. Immediately Doyle's whole demeanor changed, from frightened and crying to raging and fighting, his eyes changing from blue to orange in a blink. Ross managed to lean away before he could be headbutted and the monitors were beeping like crazy, noting all the changes that had happened in Doyle in seconds. The redhead was now glaring at Ross, snarling and roaring, tugging at his bonds but unable to break them. Ross was glad he had drugged Doyle twice, making him weak, so that might have been a reason the usually crazy-strong man wasn't able to break out and slaughter him. He remembered what had happened the first time and the potential attack had caused him to panic for just a second, but now he was calm again.

“Come now, use your words.” Ross said patronizingly, “What _are_ you, beast?” Doyle bore his teeth and growled, not saying anything, “I can do this all day, you know. And you'll wear down sometime, everyone does, and I know you can talk, I know you're not mindless. You're his last defense because he's your vessel, and I want to know the story before I rip you out and make him mine.”

 **“** **...You can't.”** it said at last, sounding both like Doyle and not at the same time, **“He'll die.”** Ross snorted.

“We'll see about that. So, what's your name?” The beast growled again, baring Doyle's teeth. Ross rolled his eyes, “I'm getting tired of this. Since you seem to be a spirit, I'll make you get out with an exorcism.” The beast couldn't help but snort at that, causing Ross to raise an eyebrow.

“What's so funny?” he asked, “Are you so arrogant as to think that an exorcism won't force you out of Doyle?”

 **“** **A little.”** admitted the beast, **“But there's more to it that that.”** Ross kept quiet, hoping the beast would keep talking, but the beast knew his tricks and stayed silent.

“...You've picked up on a bit from Doyle, haven't you?” Ross spoke, “You're certainly smart and know when to keep your mouth shut. If you weren't in my way, you might make a great spy.”

 **“** **Perhaps.”** Ross tapped a finger on his leg, trying to figure out how to make the beast talk, then smiled as he came up with something. The beast frowned, knowing this might not be so good, and glared, beginning to growl again. Ross walked away for a moment, out of the beast's sight, and he took the time to look around. There was a spotlight shining above, right on top of him, and the rest of the room was too dark to see beyond the spotlight. He tugged at the bonds again, finding them to be as strong as before, and then Ross was back, all too soon for the beast's taste. And he had a hypodermic needle, which flared up some primal panic that the beast had to suppress as the terrorist came closer.

“So, I think I might have a few ways to make you speak, starting with this.” Ross pressed his fingers against Doyle's arm, trailing up and down as he searched for a vein, “You and I both know that there's nothing the really is a truth serum, only suggestive drugs, but if they can make people speak, why not a spirit like you?” The beast tensed and Ross frowned, “Relax, it'll hurt less if you do. You don't want Doyle to hurt, do you?”

 **“** **You do.”** Ross' mouth thinned into a line.

“It's part of my job.”

 **“** **Yet you love him, even I can see that.”** The beast tipped Doyle's head back to rest on the head of the chair, **“How mad do humans have to be to think that hurting their loved ones is the right thing to do and will make them love them?”** Ross paused.

“I didn't think you were a human spirit, so what are you?” The beast stayed silent, so Ross went back to looking for a vein and soon found it, where he then injected the drugs, “They should kick in in a few minutes. And if that doesn't work, then I have another idea to make you tell.”

 **“** **How so?”** The beast doubted the drugs would work on him and he couldn't imagine much else that would make him speak. After all, as Ross had said, he was a spirit, so this shouldn't affect him. But Ross knew about Dylan, so he could threaten his son, and the beast didn't want that, so he supposed he could amuse the terrorist by pretending that the drug worked.

“Your special someone.”

 **“** **Doyle has two special someones, but I think I know which one you're talking about.”** The beast narrowed his eyes, **“Any threat against him will warrant you no words from me.”**

“Maybe. But I wouldn't have to do that if you told me your name.”

 **“** **I have many names, but the main one is Matthew.”** The beast lied smoothly. He was much better at making his lies seem like truths, unlike Doyle. And it looked like he might have also fooled Ross, who then asked a few more things.

“What are you? And I want specifics.”

 **“** **A spirit more ancient than you could ever imagine.”**

“Why are you inside Doyle? Why him?”

 **“** **Because I can. Like you said, he's my vessel, so it's my job to protect him if I want to stay here.”**

“But you could have chosen anyone, right?”

 **“** **Of course.”**

“Why do you only come out when Doyle's about to have sexual relations? Why not come out when he's angry or scared at any other time?”

 **“** **That's not my choice.”** the beast admitted, shrugging

“Why do you think an exorcism won't work on you?”

 **“** **Because people have tried, and it doesn't work. It hurts, but it doesn't make me leave.”**

“Except Death.” At that, the beast frowned slightly, “I'm right, aren't I? If Doyle dies, then that's the only way you'll leave him alone.”

 **“** **But you love him, so why would you want that? If this in the same vein as hurting the ones you love? If so, it's a horrible way to show your love.”** Ross was quiet for a moment, face unchanging, and then he smiled, but this one was completely cold and sent shivers down the beast's spine.

“True, but if I can't have him, then I can make sure Alex or anyone else can't have him, either.” he shrugged, “Before I do that, though, I wanted to mention something. You remember Abbey, right?”

 **“** **Unfortunately.”** muttered the beast, **“Your point?”**

“I thought she was going to get in the way, but now she won't. Not anymore.” Realization hit the beast like a wave. He could have responded, but he decided to retreat and let Doyle deal with this, because the beast didn't deal with many affairs of the heart and didn't want to start making a career here. Doyle gasped as everything went back to normal for him, leaving him panting and a headache bouncing around in his mind. He'd never blacked out that long before when his beast came out, and the consequences were taking their toll. Either that, or it was the drug in his system that he didn't know about. He pulled once more on his bonds and was met with resistance once again.

“Pity, I wanted to talk to him a little more before I did this.” Ross sighed and began moving away, out of the light.

“Wait!” Doyle barked, causing the shorter man to pause, “What are you going to do?”

“Something that I imagine I'll regret for a long time, but it might be the only way.” He left the light and Doyle whimpered, tugging once again at his bonds as his fear spiked. He didn't know what the other man planned to do, but it left him with a terrible feeling. He wished he could remember what Ross had discussed with his beast, but maybe not-knowing was for the best. That left his imagination to fill in the blanks and what he came up with wasn't the best. Even if he had been angry at Alex before, he really wanted the spy now, to be by his side and save him, unless Alex was too late, and then Doyle didn't want Alex to see his death, because he was sure he was going to die. Oddly, that gave him a sense of calm, unlike the fear he imagined he would have felt at the realization he was about to die.

Just beyond the light, he saw something begin to move. At first, he thought it was Ross, but then he realized it had to be someone else, because the psycho would have come to see him one last time or tell him goodbye. And then the shadow came into the light and Doyle was sure he was dreaming, because that couldn't be Alex standing in front of him, could it? Yeah, he had to be dreaming...

“You okay?” asked the illusion softly, somberly, and Doyle nodded. The illusion laid a hand on his shoulder (were illusions supposed to be this solid?) and continued, “I'm going to get you out of here, I promise. And...and I'm sorry.”

“For what?” Doyle asked, confused, then blinked when he saw tears in the illusion's eyes.

“For letting you get caught, for hurting you, for everything I've done wrong.” The illusion shook his head, “After this, you don't have to see me again. I've tried to run away before and failed because I couldn't bear to leave you, but from this I can see I was wrong.” The illusion met Doyle's eyes, “Why are you so calm about this? You should be spitting words at me, telling me how much you hate me. Why aren't you doing that?” It was then Doyle realized that the illusion was real, was actually Alex, and instead of feeling anger, he could only feel pity for Alex's plight.

“I'm not mad anymore because I love you and I understand.” Alex gently peeled away the monitors and the patches attached to Doyle as the redhead continued, “I know I should hate you, but I can't. I understand that you had a reason for all this and I'm willing to listen to that reason, but you really hurt me Alex. After this, I don't know if we'll ever get back together again.”

“Then it's just as well that I leave after this, so that we don't have to see each other again.”

“No.” Doyle shook his head, “I don't want you to leave me again. Don't you get what's going on now? You caused me to not trust love, but you also gave me the skills to survive. You left me sleepless because I'm so used to sleeping with you and now, when I wake up, I'm always so scared that you're not going to be there, like that one night when you left and never came back.” he gave a grim smile, “You forced me to depend on you, even if we both hate it.”

“But if I stay, you'll only get hurt.” Alex rubbed a hand over his face, “Doyle, after I let you get taken, I followed you to find Ross' hideout, and I realized that I was becoming the people I hated. I was becoming MI6 by treating you like you were nothing but bait, and it made me freak out like nothing else. After I calmed down, I made my move and came after you to save you.” Alex searched for a want to unlock Doyle's bonds as he went on quietly, weakly, “Why love a man like me after that? Why love me after I've become who I despise? I want you to hate me for what I did, so why don't you?”

“Because I love you. I will always love you, no matter what you do, no matter what you become, and I'm glad you came to your senses, but that doesn't mean I'll still trust you.” Doyle gazed at Alex sadly, “You almost had it. You were so close, and then you just threw it all away with this. I had no idea you were playing Ross and it _hurt_ , Alex. I don't want you to leave again, but I'm not sure if I can forgive you for letting me get taken by the biggest psycho ever.”

“I understand.” Alex finally found the switch and soon the bonds popped open, allowing Doyle to rub his wrists and be free.

“But if you came to rescue me, what happened to Ross?” Alex paused and Doyle looked at him confused, then a sick feeling settled on him, “Alex, you didn't-!”

“I had no choice.” Alex kept his head down, “If I had ran, I wouldn't have gotten there in time.”

“You could have just injured him!”

“'Injuring him' wasn't exactly on my mind at the time.”

“Alex...” Doyle shook his head, “Do you remember, back when we were together, how I tried to convince you that you always had a choice, that you could always make the right one? You still can, you could have with Ross!”

“Didn't you hear me?” Alex looked up to glare at his ex, “ _I had no choice_. He was just about to pull the switch that would have killed you, and I had no choice but to end it right there.” the blond softened, “I loved you too much to let that happen, even if you do hate me, which you should.”

“...Then let's go and forget this.” Doyle closed his eyes, flinching when he saw Ross' face behind the lids, “And send someone to clean up your mess.”

“I will.” They began to leave the building, Alex leading the way, “And I'm sorry.”

“I know, but that doesn't really change anything. I still love you, but my trust is broken and you killed a man without another thought.” Doyle crossed his arms, holding himself, “I've done it before, too, but I hate it. How can you stand it?”

“I stand it because I got rid of those emotions long ago.”

“I don't doubt it.”

“And Doyle?”

“Yeah?”

“Ross... He mentioned Abbey. He mentioned getting her out of the way, so...” Doyle froze.

“You...you think...?”

“He might have.” Alex handed Doyle his phone, as the redhead's had been taken when he had been kidnapped by Ross, “Call Miranda, see if she knows if Abbey is...you know.”

“Y-yeah, I will.” The ex-mercenary stared at the phone as Alex shifted uncomfortably.

“...I'm sorry. I knew you sort-of cared for her a bit, even if she wasn't the best person, but after I heard Ross mention it, I thought you should know, since you don't seem to remember he told you.”

“He did?” Doyle blinked and looked to Alex, “When?”

“When he was talking to you.” Alex frowned, “What happened, Doyle?”

“...” Doyle opened his mouth and closed it several times, trying to find the words, then began to speak, “I'm not a normal person Alex, and you know that. However, I'm not really human, either.”

“As if I didn't already know that.” Alex didn't say the words in a bad way, but it still kind of hurt.

“I'm not normal because I've- I've got something inside me that comes out whenever I'm sexually threatened. It takes over and protects me and is willing to kill whoever stands in my way, and I don't remember a single thing.” Doyle wiped at his eyes, where tears were beginning to appear, “Do you know what that's like, to just black out and wake up and find your hands covered in blood or to find the body of someone you killed in front of you? I'm sure you do, but you never blacked out, so you always had to see what you did, but that's because you did it of your own choice. _I had no choice_.” Doyle's bark of bitter laughter sort-of cracked, “Look, I'm quoting you!”

“Doyle-” The blond tried to stop the redhead, seeing that his ex-lover was beginning to have a breakdown. He knew how those felt, and they were never pretty, especially if you had an audience.

“Shut up, Alex! I'm a monster because of that, probably as much of a monster as you claim to be!” Doyle tugged at his mohawk, “All my life, I've been nothing but a mistake or a monster or a disappointment, up until I met you! You always tried to see the good and me and I did the same, but look what happened!” Doyle glared at Alex, “All I am is a hypocrite because, even though I tried to make you be good, I was never a good person myself! I'm a killer, a thief, I'm super strong, I'm a FREAK!” It was at that point Doyle finally collapsed, sobbing.

“Shh.” Alex crouched next to him and held Doyle in a hug, “I love you, you're not a freak, not a monster, and most certainly not a disappointment.”

“H-h-how would you know?!”

“Because I will always love you and I will never see you as anything less than perfect, no matter what you think.” Alex whispered, stroking fingers through Doyle's hair to help calm him and giving small kisses to the ex-mercenary's forehead. It hurt to see Doyle like this, but the redhead had been put under a lot of sudden stress: Getting kidnapped, drugged, finding out that the person he had only seen _minutes_ _ago_ was dead, his ex-girlfriend could very well be the same way... Alex didn't blame him for needing the slightest prod to be set off. The spy slipped his phone out of Doyle's hand (glad it wasn't crushed), opened it, and dialed Miranda's number from what he remembered. Soon he got Miranda and began to explain.

“Look, it's Alex. Ignore the background noise and check on your sister, then call me back. Thanks.” He hung up before the other Secret Scientist could begin to argue, then went back to comforting Doyle again. He hoped he could convince the Saturdays to leave Doyle alone for a while after this, because the larger man would need time to recover. Being kidnapped by your worst fear was not exactly an experience you could get over quickly.

The blond continued to comfort Doyle, giving soothing words and rubbing Doyle's back and kissing his face, and after a while, Doyle slowly began to calm down. He wouldn't let go of Alex and he was exhausted, but at least the crying had stopped. Alex's phone then rang again and he answered without another thought, too busy with Doyle that he didn't think to check the number.

“Hello? Miranda?...That's good.” Alex gave a small smile as the scientist went on, “I'll explain later, okay? Thanks for confirming that. Bye.”

“Abbey-?” asked Doyle.

“She's fine. It seems like Ross lied.”

“Good.” Doyle buried his head into Alex's shoulder.

“Think you can stand, walk maybe?”

“No.”

“We're not going far, I promise, and then you can lay in bed all you want and sleep.”

“Stay?”

“Of course I will.” _Even though you should hate me and I shouldn't be here because you'll get hurt._

“...Okay.” They stood together, with an arm around each other, though Alex was taking more of Doyle's weight than he had thought he would. Doyle was heavy, but Alex didn't mind, as long as if meant Doyle would calm down and be normal soon.

“C'mon, not far at all...” And they began to walk together again and out of the building.


	28. I'm In Love With My Own Sins

_Alex rubbed a thumb across the paper of the heart-shaped box, listening to it crackle as he sat on a bench in Central Park, coat protecting him from the chilly air. He had no flowers, but it was Valentine's Day, and he wanted to do something special. He had even contemplated getting a card, but he didn't want to give away the admirer because he wasn't exactly sure what Doyle would think. The other man was not a normal person, but then again, neither was a gay Valentine's Day or Alex finding himself falling in love._

_He was a spy, he wasn't supposed to feel love because then he would put people in danger, but Doyle had done so much for him and Alex couldn't let his efforts go unnoticed. Doyle had seen so much spilled blood in the past few months that he should have been working in a blood-bank instead of patching Alex up every few weeks, and the blond thought he had to be strong to do it so often. Physical attraction could have been a factor, but that was very doubtful. It was still  there , of course, but Alex knew he had fallen in love with the person instead of the body. Right now, though, he just needed to figure out what he was going to write on the gift tag to give the redhead that warm, fuzzy feeling that he also felt when around the other._

_"_ We can act like we come from out of this world, leave the real one far behind... _" Alex murmured the lyrics, trying to see if they fit, and smiled, "Yeah, I think that could work, maybe." he wrote it down before giving a sigh, "Why am I even putting so much effort into this, anyway? He'll like it, regardless of what it is. Probably. Maybe. I really need to give this to him before I change my mind or embarrass myself or something." Alex stood and tucked the box under his arm before making his way back to the apartment, trying not to think about what Doyle would think. It didn't take him long, as the building wasn't far from Central Park, and soon he was in the elevator, nervously waiting for his floor. A few times, others entered and exited to other floors, and one happened to comment on the box._

_"Girlfriend?" the man asked with a knowing smile._

_"Yeah." Alex lied, wanting him to shut up._

_"Must be a lucky girl."_

_"I guess."_

_"Good luck." And then the man got off on another floor, where Alex breathed a sigh of relief. It didn't last long, as a minute later, he came to his floor. It had a small hallway, since the apartments were so big, and the spy had to only walk a few feet before coming to his apartment. He nervously fumbled with the keys before finally opening the door and going in, knowing he couldn't back down now. As usual, Doyle was on the couch, tinkering with another invention, and looked up when Alex came in. The blond made an effort to hide the box behind his back, glad it wasn't too big, and the redhead raised an eyebrow._

_"I heard you at the door. Usually you're quiet when you come in. Is there something wrong?" Alex shook his head._

_"No, nothing's wrong."_

_"Yeah right." Doyle snorted, "C'mon, you can tell me!" Alex tightened his grip on the box slightly, then relaxed and made the choice before his brain could catch up. Doyle lit up at the sight of the box, shocked and frozen._

_"It's not from me." Alex found himself saying. Doyle seemed to depress a little at that, but he still stood and took the box._

_"Then who's it from?" he asked._

_"Well, to celebrate my single life and because it's Valentine's Day, I'm guessing one of my friends sent this to me." Alex tapped the cover, "Checked it just to make sure. It's clean."_

_"Valentine's Day? D*mn, it's already been that long..." Doyle soon found the tag and read it, causing a smile, even though it didn't seem quite right, "What's with the tag? It's cute."_

_"Just a gag, I think." Alex sat on the couch and dragged Doyle down with him, "You wanna share? I can't eat it all myself."_

_"Sure." Doyle pulled off the tag and set it aside before breaking the paper and opening the box. He was curious about who had sent Alex the box and was determined to get to the bottom of it. This caused him to wonder if he was feeling jealous, and if so, why? What reason did he have to be jealous? Alex was only his friend, right?_

_Right?_

* * *

Why was he remembering things now, after what Alex did to him? Especially Valentine's Day, of all things? Not that anything special happened that day except for Alex pretty much announcing that he loved the redhead (except he didn't), it was just the concept of the holiday itself. Just being in love. Doyle was still in love, of course, but there was little to no trust.

"Don't look." the blond warned as they passed a doorway on the way out, but Doyle did so anyway. He soon had to look away in disgust when he saw Ross on the ground, a hole in his head that was flowing blood. That image would be in nightmares to come.

"...And you're sure you had no choice?" Doyle questioned again, just to make sure.

"His hand was on the lever that was about to electrify you, he was willing to kill you if I hadn't done anything."

"Then how do you know what he was saying if you weren't here?"

"Speaker I planted on your shirt." Alex admitted guiltily, "I don't expect you to forgive me for what I've done, I don't want you to, but I'm so sorry." Doyle didn't answer him as they finally exited the building. Doyle blinked, finding it near sunset. Just how long had he been held captive?

"A few hours." Alex answered his unspoken question, then led him to the nearest gondola station, where they took one back to the museum. Doyle was quiet once again, contemplating everything that had just happened, now that he was calmer. He had been kidnapped by his greatest enemy, drugged at least twice, almost killed, Abbey was reported to be killed, and Alex had willingly let him get kidnapped. All in all, not a good day.

"Sabina's not going to be happy." Alex murmured to himself quietly, as if trying to make conversation. Doyle didn't make a sound, though he was curious on who Sabina was. Alex spoke up anyway, "She's my adopted sister. They were married."

" _Ar fi trebuit să te gândești la asta înainte să-l omori, nu?_ " (Should have thought about that before you killed him, huh?) Doyle spoke in Romanian, not wanting to use English at this time. Using a different language sometimes helped him with stress, as he learned after leaving Alex. The spy frowned but didn't retaliate. They both stayed quiet for the rest of the journey until they arrived, stepping off the boat with ease.

"Let me take the lead." Alex offered, "You don't say a word until you're ready, I'll explain everything and you can go back to your quarters. I know people don't like hearing this, but I know how it feels. I've been through it before, and you know that's true."

" _Din păcate._ " (Unfortunately.) said Doyle. Alex sighed and took the other's hand, not in a kind grip but a strong one, and led the redhead back to the airship. The blond was pretty sure the Saturdays had already finished with the mirror and had returned, even with the worries of what happened to himself and Doyle. He both hoped and dreaded that Sabina was with them, because he didn't want to tell her the truth, but he knew it was necessary. Alex walked Doyle back to his room on the ship before bidding the redhead goodbye and separating to find the others. He knew Doyle needed time to himself, to calm down after his breakdown, and Alex felt like he was on autopilot, like nothing mattered anymore. And when he found them, all in the living room, waiting, he had the worst feeling that things weren't going to end well. He opened his mouth and took a big breath, ready to speak, and that he did. He left out no details, he kept no secrets, he told the story as it was, and briefly regretted it, but knew it had to be done.

"...and then I brought him back and he's in his room." Alex ended and avoided looking at his sister, it was hard enough to hear her crying, and he waited for her to chew him out, like Doyle should've. But what she said next both surprised and hurt him.

"I understand." she managed through tears, "I understand that you did what you had to do, even if you had to end his life to do it. You're a spy, Alex, it's what you have to do, and though I'm a bit angry about this, not all of it is at you. I'm angry at Ross for lying to me for so long. It if I had known what he was, I never would have married him."

"You should hate me." Alex muttered, loud enough for the others to hear, "I was the one who put Doyle in danger in the first place and, in turn, that forced me to kill Ross."

"Ross would've gotten to Doyle anyway. You just made it happen faster." Sabina reasoned, calming down a bit, but not the spy.

"And that's better?" Alex growled, more angry towards himself than his sister, "I broke his trust and became the people I hated, I killed your husband when I could've done something else. That makes me no better than MI6." he shook his head, "I'm going out for a while. Don't follow, please." He left them to comfort each other and left the airship. He knew the dangers, he had explicitly warned the others about the dangers that still lingered in Venice because of him, but he couldn't care less at the moment. If he got himself killed tonight, he wouldn't mind. It'd probably be a good thing, since all he did was attract trouble.

* * *

Doyle had to call again, just to make sure that Abbey was okay, and Miranda was getting irritated at all these calls, so she asked when was going on.

"A lot of things." Doyle rubbed his eyes, sitting on his bed with his knees tucked against his chest, "Just give me a chance to talk to her, please. I may not like Abbey, you and I both know that, but that doesn't mean I still don't have some love for her."

"...Alright." Miranda finally gave in (possibly because of the slight desperation in his voice) and there was some shuffling on the other side of the line before Doyle heard the familiar British voice, "Doyle?"

"Hey." he tried to pretend this was a normal call, like he called Abbey every day like their lives were normal and they weren't crazy, "How are you?"

"After what you did?" she spat, "I'd say my life is hell right now."

"I'm not sorry for that, but I just wanted to make sure you're... _alive_."

"Yes, my sister mentioned that. Any reason why?"

"Well, you know about Alex and hate him because I love him more than you, but you're still better than one other person I've met over the years." Doyle closed his eyes, "Anyone is better than him."

"Who is he?" Abbey asked, because Doyle now had her attention.

"You mean who  _was_ he. His name was Ross, I met him long before I found my family again or I met you, but he...he pretended to be nice, but he was anything but, and I don't just mean in a personality way. What you did...I got that defensive ability after what he did, where he nearly raped me and treated me as nothing more than a sex toy." he took a shuddering breath, "The reason I'm telling you all this is because I saw him again today. He said that he got you out of the picture, probably just to scare me into being with him, and I just wanted to make sure you're still there. I may not like you, Abbey, but that doesn't mean I don't love you. Even after what you did."

"...Doyle..." her voice was quiet, subdued, "...He's dead now?"

"Thanks to Alex." Doyle nodded, even though Abbey couldn't see him, "But after seeing Ross again, everything that I've gone through today... I just needed to calm down, so thanks for talking."

"...I'm sorry for what I did, then. I just wanted you so much, I didn't realize-"

"I know. Like I said, maybe we could have had something in another life. But thanks for the apology, anyway." Doyle smiled slightly, a bit strained, "And thanks for hearing me out. I can't lessen your sentence when you get it, but just stay safe, okay? Like I keep telling Alex, even though I don't trust him, I'd still be broken if something happened to him. I may not love you as much, but just keep that in mind so you don't get yourself killed." Doyle tightened a fist, "Please."

"...I promise."

"Thanks. 'Bye."

"Goodbye, Doyle." They hung up and Doyle laid his phone on the bedside table, beside the puzzle box. He stared at it for a moment, then turned away. He didn't think he wanted to solve it anymore, not after what Alex did. It still really hurt, but Doyle couldn't bring himself to hate Alex. He never could, he could dislike Alex, but he couldn't hate the blond. After all, Alex had done this as part of his job, as being a spy. Doyle just got caught in the crossfire. Again, like he did all those years ago. This irony was not lost on the redhead.

As he laid back, Doyle thought about all the other times he had encountered Ross. He hadn't truly seen Ross until earlier than day, but he had seen the terrorist in dreams before, but he was pretty sure they weren't his dreams. Not true nightmares where people would torture you and stuff, but nightmares where he found himself loving Ross when he  _oh so clearly_  shouldn't, couldn't,  _wouldn't_. He didn't get it, either, which was why he was skeptical on the dreams actually being  _his_ dreams. Maybe they were someone else's and he didn't realize it. He was pretty sure that was it, but how could he know for certain? All he knew was that he hated the dreams, no matter how good they made him feel. And he remembered the dreams pretty clearly, looking through his own eyes, and they never changed, so if anyone asked, he'd describe it like this...

* * *

He was laying in bed, his eyes closed, feeling that he was just starting to wake up. And either the bed was broken or there was someone else in bed with him. He turned his head and opened his eyes to see the smiling face of Ross on the other side of the bed, looking genuinely kind for once. Ross smiled wider when he saw Doyle look to him and raised a hand hesitantly.

"'Morning, sweetheart." he greeted, "May I?"

"Sure." Doyle found himself muttering, where Ross then hugged and cuddled him. Doyle smiled and wrapped an arm around the smaller man, where they both wore nothing except the covers.

"How was last night?" asked Ross.

"Great. I wish I could stay here forever."

"Me too. And I'm just glad you were willing to let me, especially after- Well, you know."

"Yeah. But I don't have to be afraid of you, not like him." Doyle kissed the top of Ross' head, "Wish you didn't have to go to work, though."

"Don't we all." Ross moved away to look up at the other man, "You sure you'll be fine alone?" Doyle nodded.

"I've lived alone so much it's like second nature. A sad second nature, but I can manage."

"Just know that I love you, okay?"

"Love you too." They kissed and just before he let go, everything went black.

* * *

Doyle Whitewell woke up in fright, his heart pumping in fear and anxiety and loss. After crossing between worlds for days, searching for his nephew, he had finally broken down and slept, but not for long. He remembered his dream, his  _memory_ , and instead of how it always had him melancholy, it left him with fear. Had something happened to Ross? He didn't like the feeling he was left with and had to find out. Being in the Anti-Matter World, he didn't have to worry about crossing over to search. After leaving the abandoned building he had taken as shelter, he took to the skies to look for Ross. He knew where Ross was, even if they hadn't kept in touch, because of a home-made tracker he had devised before they had met. It had originally been meant for Alex, but he supposed it was a good thing he had put it on Ross instead. And it didn't take him far at all, just to another damaged building among all the destruction of his world. Few still stood and if they did, then they were very strong and probably owned by someone rich. Ross hadn't been rich, but he was a good person. Doyle, not so much, but he supposed that was just the way they were. Opposites that got attracted.

He carefully made his way through the ruins, holding up his phone, watching as the tracker beeped on the screen. Ross was close, but the closer he got, the more frightened Doyle felt. It had been  _years_ since they saw each other, what would Ross think of him now? But from the feelings he had, he wondered if Ross was even alive. He didn't like it and didn't want to think about it, so he kept going. Soon he came to a room with a bed, a proper one unlike the floor he had had to sleep on earlier, and laying on it was the person he was most pleased and feared to see.

"Ross?" Whitewell asked quietly, carefully venturing into the room. There was no answer, even though he could see Ross' sleeping face from the doorway. But there was something wrong, he could tell, and as he got closer, he suddenly knew. He could smell the blood in the air and Ross wasn't moving, not even breathing, and it scared him. He rushed forward, ready to try to revive the smaller man, but knew it was no use when he got a good look at Ross' chest. The shirt was ripped open right above his heart, but there was no heart underneath, just a bloody, gaping hole. He didn't howl with grief or collapse or faint like he thought he would when he lost someone close to him. He just stood there, shocked and cold and broken, and slowly dragged his eyes over Ross' corpse. He plucked the tracker off one of the other's gloves, which Ross always wore, and found in Ross' other hand a clenched note. Gently pulling it free, Doyle opened it with surprisingly steady hands and read.

_You should have known he wasn't going to be safe from me, even if you did leave him._

He didn't need a name to know who wrote the note. He tore it to pieces and vowed to get revenge for Ross Quinn...

But knew that was only possible if he ever managed to overcome his fear of Alex, which wasn't likely, but he was willing to do it if it meant he not only got rid of Alex but also got revenge for Ross.

* * *

The Saturdays weren't sure how to go about what had just happened, what Alex had done and what Doyle had gone through, but they knew they had to do something. Sitting around was not in their nature. Comforting a widow was also not in that description, but they tried their best. If anything, Alex should be there instead, being Sabina's brother, but he had been gone for a while, leaving the job up to them.

"Do you want us to take you home?" Drew offered, "Back to the States?" Sabina just cuddled Komodo, who lay in her arms. He hissed a little at the tight hugging but left it be, knowing she needed it.

"That'd be nice, but not until Alex is back." she sniffed, "He does stupid things sometimes, especially when he closes off."

"We can go look for him." Doc offered.

"Thank you, but how are you supposed to find him?"

"After those two kept disappearing a lot, Doc and I put trackers on those two." said Drew, "We knew where they went, but we weren't sure whether to go after them with you, so we just stayed behind."

"Thanks, but you didn't have to." Sabina sniffed.

"We didn't have to, but we wanted to." Zak pointed out, "And he's got a lot of apologizing to do instead of just blaming himself. Why does he do that if it's not his fault?"

"It happens to everyone, Zak." Doc picked up the boy and put him in his lap, "Remember when we all went to Weird World with you for the first time? When I got separated from all of you, I tried to find Argost and found the control room for the place. Munya had this chip system thing going on, sort-of to represent us and when he threw all the chips away, representing how you all could be dead, I just lost it and went after Argost, but I also blamed myself." Doc hugged Zak tighter, "I brought you all into the mansion and I thought it was all my fault that you were dead. If I had managed to kill Argost and you  _were_ dead, I don't think I'd be able to live with myself."

"Why?" asked the boy, frowning.

"It's called Survivor's Guilt." Sabina answered to the Saturdays' surprise, "If you manage to survive something horrible, like Weird World or a plane crash, and no one else did, you're left with the guilt that you survived. I haven't dealt with that myself, but Alex has and I've seen it. It's not a good thing, Zak, and some people can't dealt with that guilt. Just be glad you don't have to deal with it, okay?"

"Then is he just blaming himself because he has a lot of guilt over what he did? I mean, Alex  _is_ kinda guilty, but he shouldn't beat himself up so much, right? Doyle's still okay."

"Honey..." Drew tried, "It's more complicated than that. Alex left Doyle behind a long time ago, when they got separated, and for some reason that really hurt Doyle to the point where he barely trusted Alex. They've built up that trust, but because Alex let Doyle get caught by a man Alex knew Doyle was terrified of, Doyle can't trust him again. It's like how I found out the truth about Van Rook, I suppose. He lied to me about what he did because he knew very well that I didn't approve and when I found out, I felt betrayed by him and we broke up. I never trusted him again because of that, even though I still loved him a bit. That's how Doyle and Alex are right now. It takes a long time to build up trust but only seconds to break it, so I wonder if we'll see Alex again or if he'll just leave for good."

"He came back to make up with Doyle and he succeeded, then he failed. I'm not sure he's going to try again or even if he wants to." said Doc, "He feels guilty for willingly putting Doyle in danger, and that's a kind of guilt that's very hard to get rid of, sort of like Survivor's Guilt. But I also talked to him about leaving Doyle behind before, so maybe he'll come back."

"Maybe, but you're probably going to have to search for him." Sabina spoke, "Like I said, my brother does stupid things when he closes off."

"Then I'll go find him." None of them had spoken and they all looked up to find Doyle leaning on the doorway to the living room. He looked as tired and harrowed as Alex had described, his arms crossed and his face emotionless. His sapphire eyes, usually bright with happiness or interest, were just cold stones that stared out from his face, unfeeling and unmoving. It was as if he didn't really see them, though he was staring at them.

"No." Drew shook her head and stood, "After what happened, you need to rest."

"I'll be fine." he snapped, the first sign of emotion since he had appeared, "I'm not gonna fall to pieces the first time something stressful happens. As much as it might shock you, this is not the first breakdown I've ever had. I've had some before, I know my limits, and I know that I'm one of the few reasons Alex might come back." he shifted a little as he continued, calmer, "Sabina is in no shape to go look for Alex—yes, I know I'm not in the best shape either at the moment—but I know where Alex could be. You said it yourself Drew, I may not trust him but I still love him, and I'm not going to let anything happen to him, especially if it's by his own hand." Doyle saddened at that, "Remember when I was sick, when I told you to keep an eye out for him? That's because I know what he tries to do sometimes, when things become too much for him. And right now, things are at a bad time for both of us and I wouldn't put it past him to just walk in the middle of the road to get run over by a car and end it there. In fact, he could be doing it right now and we might not even know about it unless we turn on the news, and I'd rather not think about how he could have killed himself at the moment. Depresses me too. So please, let me go after him. And if you don't, I don't care, because I'm going after him anyway."

With that, the redhead left them and the airship and began looking for Alex, at places he thought the spy would have skulked to after the disaster of the day.

* * *

There was a reason why Alex never drank, but at the moment, it was too hard to try and remember. Everything was fuzzy and warm and it made him forget about what had happened. What  _had_ happened? Well, whatever it was, it had to have been bad enough to make him get drunk. Being drunk was the worst thing imaginable for a spy (or one of the worst), but he didn't remember that right now. He just wanted to forget all the harm he had caused, all the blood that stained his hands, everything cruel about the world, and it was all washed away in a few sips. He was not good at holding his liquor, that much he could tell you even while drunk, and he didn't mind. He wasn't used to drinking, he didn't do it often, so he wasn't an alcoholic, but sometimes things got so bad that he didn't think he had another choice. It was either that or harming himself, and there were times where getting lost in the booze was better than cutting the pain away.

But then his nice, fuzzy nap was being interrupted by shaking, and he couldn't tell if he was the one being shook or if it was the whole building. Numbly, he felt a presence on his shoulder and looked up to see the last person he expected at a bar: Doyle. Though things were blurry, he was sure Doyle was giving him a disappointed look, but at the moment, he didn't care.

"Hey." Alex spoke, voice slightly slurring, stretching out the word a second longer than necessary, "What're you doing here?"

"I'm here to take you back to the airship, dumb*ss." Doyle said, sounding just as he had looked. He tugged the blond to his feet and steadied Alex when the spy swayed slightly.

"No." Alex refused, trying to push Doyle's hands away, "Let me drown in my misery!" Doyle sighed.

"Don't make me do this the hard way." the ex-mercenary warned. When Alex continued to try to push him away, the redhead grabbed the other and slung the blond over his shoulder. To his surprise, Alex giggled like it was a ride and asked for him to do it again. Another reason why Alex, of all people, should not get drunk: He could be a wildcard and do something unexpected, more than he usually did when sober. It was like his luck and mood went haywire when he was drunk and now was no exception.

"Again, again!" Alex cried. Doyle ignored him and too the blond out of the Italian bar, where the blond pouted. Alex tried to free himself, but being drunk, could only weakly slap and kick at Doyle. It wasn't until Alex groaned that Doyle put the spy back on the ground, allowing him to throw up in nearby bushes. The redhead didn't know how much Alex had drank to get away from everything, but he was sure the blond was going to severely regret it in the morning. As it was, just in case Alex got sick again, Doyle grabbed the other's hand and tugged him along, where Alex continued to stumble while Doyle struggled to not give the other a helping hand. He was trying to not be nice and Alex was making that hard. When the blond whimpered, the redhead turned to snap at him, only to find Alex trying to tug away, gripping his wrist. Realizing he was holding Alex's hand too tightly and knowing he could crush it, Doyle quickly eased on the pressure.

"Thank you." Alex said quietly, and he stayed that way until some passing men commented in Italian about them as a couple, and not kindly, either. Doyle ignored it, but Alex, being a wildcard drunk, immediately tried to get back at them for it, forcing Doyle to hold him back. Doyle then continued to carry Alex back, this time in bridal-style with Alex's arms around his neck, and went through the drunk cycle again until they came to the airship. Alex didn't get sick again, thankfully, and seemed to have fallen asleep in Doyle's arms, tugging at the redhead's heart.

 _No._  he reminded himself,  _I'm mad at him for doing this, for leaving everything behind so he could be selfish!... But doesn't he deserve that sometimes?_  The ex-mercenary shook off his thoughts and carried Alex to their room, avoiding the living room in case of questions, and put Alex on the bed. Doyle noted that, in the morning, he needed to make this a teachable moment to Zak and the cryptids about the consequences of getting drunk, but not before setting everything up to help Alex get through bis hangover. Like most men, Doyle had also drank before, but he hated it and hadn't drank since, and he had been warned by Alex himself about drinking, so he supposed that this was hypocritical karma biting the blond right now and that Doyle shouldn't feel bad, but he did. He tried to tell himself that he had no reason to be like that, but he couldn't come up with a good reason. And, when he tried to turn away and get the needed things, Alex grabbed his arm and the blond opened his eyes. They were still clouded over with alcohol, but were also cloudy with tears, and Doyle couldn't look away from the spectacle.

"I'm sorry." Alex whispered, "Please don't leave." Doyle wanted to leave him, to teach him a lesson, but couldn't, and so he sat on the edge of the bed, causing Alex to smile and drift to sleep again. Doyle may have been mad, but his heart was bigger than his anger, and so it won out this time. He wasn't sure it would win again next time, because Alex had broken his trust. One more blow could send everything crashing down...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My longest story ever, fanfiction or otherwise, and I'm really impressed I managed to stay with it this long. I also finally have a way to end the story (as I knew how it would end but not how to get there and now I know how to get there), but it's nowhere near finished yet. I don't know how many chapters it'll take for that, but anyway, I hope you like this one. The dream isn't really distinguished from the rest of the chapter, like I'd done before, and that's for a reason. Doyle also did one other thing before offering to go look for Alex and that'll be addressed in the next chapter.
> 
> The Romanian is from Google Translate, so it may be wrong, and the lyrics are from Safety Dance by Men Without Hats, but Alex is humming the lyrics to a cover used in a Publix commercial.


	29. Love's Complicated

Doyle was both glad and disappointed that Alex was now sleeping off the alcohol, rubbing his eyes as it got later and later. He was glad that Alex was almost unable to be awoken, as his family came in the make sure that Alex was back and okay (Doyle also asked Zak to come see him in the morning so that he could teach him a secret lesson, of which Drew and Doc easily guessed by their looks), but he hated how Alex and decided to go leave and get drunk when his sister needed him. Doyle wouldn't have done that to Drew, never! But maybe that was because they had a better relationship than Alex and Sabina? Doyle hadn't caught the whole conversation before, but he was sure Sabina had sounded sort-of resigned to Alex's flight. He wondered if that meant that she was also used to him being a spy and knew that Alex might not come back someday, that she may never see him again. And she sounded fine with that. It angered Doyle that the two weren't as close as they could be, and that Sabina was resigned to Alex's death if it ever came to pass. The redhead understood that it was a danger of Alex's job, but that didn't mean he had to sit back and watch it happen. But that could be because he loved Alex instead of caring for him as a sibling. However, it didn't matter. Once Alex was sober again, even with Scorpia on their tails, Doyle was going to help the two bond and grow closer so that maybe Alex wouldn't be as reckless and bitter as he usually was on missions.

He turned to gaze at the sleeping blond, watching Alex's breath rise and fall. The blond was sleeping in his own bed after Doyle had moved in back into his bedroom, but only for the night. After Alex's betrayal, even though Doyle wanted to keep him in sight, the ex-mercenary didn't want to stay in the same room anymore, certainly not the same bed. In a way, he supposed it was his punishment for Alex, but his heart hoped things could be repaired. Doyle had given Alex two chances, and twice he had failed. Hopefully the third time was the charm, but he wasn't thinking much about it as he sighed, closing his eyes. After so long, away from his computer, he had finally gotten back on it right before he went after Alex, to check on Dylan. It was very rare for him to go a few days without talking to his son, and this was the first time weeks had gone by and they hadn't exchanged a word. It saddened Doyle when he came to that realization, so he had checked his email for Dylan's latest news. He didn't like what he found, however...

* * *

So, how's it going with Alex, Dad?

Dad? Are you on another job or something?

Dad, pick up. I love jokes and all, but if this is one...

You're starting to worry me. Where are you?

DAD! Okay, if you're not responding to that, has something happened? PICK UP.

...Dad?

Dad, you need to talk to me, NOW. Something just happened and I'm FREAKING OUT.

I MEAN IT.

WHERE ARE YOU?!

DAD!!!!

_Doyle gazed at all of the new messages, his stomach twisting in fear and regret as he read them. He hoped Dylan was up as he typed a response, hoping his son was okay with whatever happened._

Hey, buddy. Look, before you rip me a new one, I'm sorry, a lot's been going on. Now, what happened that freaked you out? _He tapped his fingers on the side of the keyboard, both hoping and not that Dylan would answer. It was getting late, his son should be asleep by now, but sometimes the poor boy had bouts of insomnia. He knew how that felt, and to his surprise, the computer beeped with a new message._

WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?! _Dylan seemed to scream at him,_ I'VE BEEN WORRIED SICK!!

Just tell me what happened. I get that I worried you, but now you're worrying ME. What went down, Dylan?

Okay okay, so, um... A few days ago, I suddenly got this HUGE pain in my chest, and Mrs. Cody called the hospital and I was taken there in an ambulance, and apparently I had a heart attack. Everything was fine, but the thing was, when it happened, I didn't feel like ME. I didn't even have any signs of a heart attack when they screened me, there wasn't any damage, nothing. I just felt like someone else when it happened, like I was looking through someone else's eyes, even though I wasn't. _Doyle's blood began to run cold as he realized that Dylan's story connected to what had happened to him,_ And having a heart attack at 12 isn't right, right?

No, no it's not. _the man responded,_ Look, what happened to you is really bad because the same thing happened to me a few days ago.

WHAT?!

Listen, don't freak out! You don't want anyone to worry more over you, right?

Yeah, okay.

So, I think that for some reason, our heart attacks were connected, but I don't know how. _Doyle bit his lip as he typed on,_ I can't tell you why right now, but don't tell anyone about what I just said, okay? This is a very bad thing, Dylan.

I know, Dad, I understand. And I'll keep it secret. You know I can't say a word, anyway. _Doyle's heart broke at that._

Sorry, I didn't mean, but you know- Yeah. Just, sorry.

It's okay, but don't disappear on me like that again, please. _Dylan sounded pleading now,_ I don't want to never see you again, and I never want to be taken away from you because of that deal you made. Please take me home soon.

I will, I promise, but not now. You'll know when the time comes. I love you, little man.

...I love you too, Dad. _And then it was all over. Wanting to distract himself from his heartache, Doyle got up and began looking for Alex, wondering why the blond hadn't returned to their room yet, even though the redhead was relieved he hadn't._

* * *

Doyle shook his head as the flashback ended and he looked over Alex again, laying a hand on the spy's lower leg. Alex didn't even flinch, yet he began to frown in his sleep. Looking over, the ex-mercenary saw the dreamcatcher Drew had made for Alex hanging over his bed and Doyle decided to move it to Alex's to help the blond. There was nothing to hang it on, however, as there was no headboard. However, there were bedposts, so Doyle tied some string between the two above Alex's head and hung the dreamcatcher there. As soon as it was in place, Alex seemed to calm down, and it made the redhead glad. Even if he was disappointed in Alex's choices, he didn't want the other to suffer, especially from his own mind. Alex would think otherwise, but Doyle wasn't that cruel.

“Sweet dreams.” Doyle murmured, hovering just above Alex's head. He was tempted to kiss the other's head for the night, but went against it. Instead, he returned to his bed and tried to get some sleep, even though he knew it was impossible. Gotta try though, right?

* * *

“Drew?” Doc Monday questioned, peeking into her room. He had his mind set on what he was about to do, and he knew he was going to get hurt for it, but he didn't mind.

“Yeah?” she asked, glancing up from the events playing out on her compact, “You should see this, Rider really messed up this time!” Doc was tempted, but grit his teeth to refrain himself from doing so.

“I need to tell you something.”

“Then say it.” She gestured for him to get on with it and Doc took a deep breath.

“I'm leaving.”

“To do what? Look for the cryptids? They're probably fine. And don't even get me started on that b*st*rd brother of mine.”

“I'm leaving.” he repeated, “For good.”

“...What?” It began to dawn on Drew what her husband was saying. She stood, “What do you mean, 'I'm leaving?'”

“I've had enough of being bossed around. I may not be smart, but I'm not completely dumb!”

“You can't leave!” she shouted, “You have nowhere to go!”

“I don't care, I've had it!” he turned his back on her, “Maybe if you were just a _bit_ kinder and didn't treat me like sh*t, this wouldn't be happening!”

“Oh really?!” Drew grabbed the collar of Doc's shirt and forced him to look at her, “You're leaving because I'm not treating you right?! No one's nice here, you know that!”

“Maybe I do, but I'm tired of it!” he pushed her away, “I didn't ask you to become your counterpart, I just wanted a little love sometimes! That's why we got married, isn't it?! Why we had a son?! TELL ME!” He was shouting now and, for once in her life, Drew was cowering, fear in her eyes. That made Doc soften and when he tried to reach out and comfort her, she moved away.

“Go...” she whimpered, “You wanna leave, so go! I don't need you! I DON'T NEED ANYONE!” And she fled into the bowels on the airship, crying. Knowing it was no use to go after her, even if his heart told him otherwise, Doc Monday turned and never looked back as he left. They weren't divorcing, but it was over.

* * *

_Alex was looking through their mail when Doyle heard him scoff and throw a letter away, then do the same to a few others. Curious, the redhead picked them out of the trash and gazed at them, raising an eyebrow when he saw that at least one was from MI6._

_“Shouldn't you answer these?”_

_“No.” Alex spoke, “They're birthday cards.” Doyle froze._

_“Birthday-? When was your birthday?”_

_“The day before Valentine's.” Alex shrugged, “Haven't celebrated it in years, and I already had a tough time because it was so close to the holiday.”_

_“I-”_

_“Don't apologize.” Alex stood and took the letters out of Doyle's hands, throwing them back in the trash, “Who cares if I've survived another year? MI6 sends me cards just because it's kind-of required, and they hate it because it also reminds them how much closer I am to being useless. I get some cards from other people, but they don't really matter to me that much. It's not like I can go home and celebrate.” Alex began walking away, muttering, “MI6 just_ loves _to make sure of that, always giving me a mission as my present...”_

_“Alex.”_

_“Hm?” The blond looked back and, before he could react, his lips were taken in a kiss. It was not his first, but it did make his eyes go wide in surprise and his instincts go haywire, but he didn't push the intruder away. In fact, he welcomed it, closing his eyes to kiss back against Doyle, but then the redhead pulled away and disappeared, running to a different room and locking the door. Alex slowly brought a hand to his lips, touching the sizzling that he still felt on them, and his mind tried to work again. Not one of his kisses had felt like that before, none were so gentle and loving and kind, and it made him addicted just from that one shot. But why had Doyle done that out of nowhere? Did he realize Alex loved him? Was it his present for the missed birthday? Only Doyle knew and Alex was going to get to the bottom of it._

_He went to their shared bedroom, where Doyle had fled, and knocked on the door. To his surprise, it wasn't locked, so he pushed it open and ventured inside. He found the other, bigger man laying on the bed, his head buried into and under some pillows, and there was no sound. It could have been muffled, but Alex doubted it. As it was, he took a seat on the edge of the bed, causing Doyle to look up and spot him before hiding his head again, now making the sound of a muffled whimper._

_“Sorry.” Doyle's voice drifted out of the pile of pillows, “You hate me now, don't you.”_

_“Actually...” Alex smiled, “You have no idea how happy you made me.”_

_“What?” Doyle looked up and Alex refrained from snickering at how goofy the redhead looked as the pillows cascaded away when he sat up, “You...don't hate me?”_

_“Not at all. Didn't you feel me kiss back?”_

_“I was a bit preoccupied with strangled panic, thank you very much.” Doyle sat up fully this time, slightly towering over Alex despite how they were both sitting, “So, you like me back?”_

_“Have since the Pool Incident. And I don't want to sound nosy, but I've overheard how you were trying to come to terms with me being more than 'just a friend.'” Alex gazed at him, “Am I wrong?”_

_“No, no, you're not wrong, just-” Doyle sighed, a blush on his cheeks, “I didn't mean to act out like that. I guess I just felt so ashamed for missing your birthday that I wanted to do something and I found myself kissing you before I could stop myself.”_

_“Well, I think it was a great idea. Best present ever.” Alex laid back. Doyle laid on his side beside the blond as Alex put his hands behind his head in a relaxing pose._

_“And if you've loved me since the Pool Incident, everything you've done, including the candy from the other day... Was that all for me?” Alex was quiet for a moment._

_“...Yeah.” the spy nodded, “It was. I wanted to show you how much I cared without actually saying I cared and-” He was cut off as Doyle kissed his lips again._

_“I get it, I get it! No need for a technical explanation!” the redhead laughed, “But I guess we're now boyfriends?”_

_“Only if you want us to be.”_

_“Then I do.” Doyle tugged Alex into his arms and for the first time in a long time, the spy felt a sense of home._

* * *

Alex groaned as he became conscious, the hangover hitting him hard, as did the headache. He tried to pull the covers over his head to block the light, then realized there wasn't much light at all. He blinked open his eyes, looking around, and winced at the light of the lamp. However, the shades were drawn, even though sunlight could be seen coming from underneath, and he was grateful for that. He only hoped that Sabina would forgive him for this. No one else should forgive him, _she_ shouldn't, but he knew her all too well. She understood him better than most, she knew the different ways he broke down, and she would always forgive him and give him another chance. Alex wondered when she would be sick of this and his luck would run out. He honestly hoped it would be soon so that it would force him to get his act together. Either that or he would die and not have to face it. Both ways were fine with him.

He groaned again as a knock came to the door, covering his ears. This is why he shouldn't get drunk, he always had terrible hangovers. But then knocking persisted, so he was forced to get up and open the door. He covered his eyes at the brightness as his headache pounded and blinked until his eyes adjusted, seeing Doyle there, arms crossed. Alex glared and made to close the door, but the ex-mercenary stuck his foot in to prevent that.

“Dress. Now.” Doyle snapped, in as bad a mood as Alex, if not worse. The spy had no choice but to comply, leaving the door open as he went to change. Doyle kept an eye on him, making sure that Alex wouldn't go back to bed, and then the two left for the living room together. Alex rubbed his eyes as his headache pounded, but he could deal with it, he'd felt worse. And he was glad Doyle was mad at him, he should be hated after what he did, even if Doyle said he still loved him. And, with that in mind, why _was_ Doyle mad at him now? He wanted to ask but kept his mouth shut, considering it might help him live longer. Just before they came to the airship's living room, the redhead stopped him.

“When we go in there, apologize to your sister for what you did last night. That's all I ask, and then you can go back to bed. We're in the States and about to drop her off at home, and I wanted you to at least try to make things better before she leaves, just in case you never see her again.” Doyle closed his eyes, “I know how it feels all too well, so please do it.”

“...Okay.” Alex hung his head, “I thought she'd already left.”

“She wanted to, but Drew and I made her stay.” Doyle gestured for Alex to go inside, in front of him, and the blond did, if hesitantly. Doyle knew he was not a people person, but the redhead was doing all he could to help Sabina and Alex become closer, so the blond wasn't about to pass that up. It was nerve-wracking to sit by his sister, though, knowing he was supposed to apologize.

“Hey.” he managed as she sat silently, staring and waiting for him to speak, “I'm- I'm sorry for what I did last night, running off and leaving you alone with your grief. I-”

“It's okay.” she sighed, “I know Drew and Doyle put you up to this, but thanks for the effort. I understand that you're a spy, Alex, this is what you do, and you have different ways to cope with different things. I just wish that, sometimes, you wouldn't be so selfish.” Alex's heart ached at that, “But I understand that you don't get to be selfish, so I shouldn't be so mad.”

“But I left you behind to deal with the grief over Ross, and that makes me a worse brother than anything.” he admitted, “'Sorry' never means much, but that's what I am right now. I'm so, so sorry. I want to be a good brother, but look at what I've done.” He looked away, “As I keep telling Doyle, I'm not a good person. I was given choices, but I kept making the wrong ones, and now I'm just as bad as MI6. I didn't comfort you, I let Doyle get taken by his worst fear, I'm not better than they are.”

“Yes you are.” Sabina hugged her brother, “You're better than you think you are, Alex, and you always will be. You're the one who helps give others another chance, you save the world time and time again, you do good things all the time and you never see them. All you see is the bad that you do because that's all that matters to you. You think you're a bad person, so you only see the bad in life, but I promise you're not. And I can understand and forgive you for what you did last night because you were trying to hurt yourself as a way to cope. But when you hurt yourself, you keep doing more harm than good for everyone.”

“Then maybe I should leave so that I don't hurt anyone anymore.” Alex tried to move away but Sabina held tight.

“That would just make things worse.” she pulled away slightly to look at him in the eyes, “You need to give yourself another chance so that maybe you can see yourself as a good person again.”

“I had that chance, Sab.” he successfully pushed her away this time, “But I lost it completely.” Now free, he quickly fled past Doyle and into the bowels of the ship. The redhead had been standing by the door the whole time and now sighed angrily, wishing that Alex wasn't so self-loathing, and went after the other, leaving Sabina behind. She knew Alex wasn't going to come back anytime soon and decided to leave the ship and not cause any more trouble for the Saturdays.

“Alex!” Doyle shouted as he raced after his ex. Alex ignored him, continuing to run, and Doyle wondered how he could do it with a hangover. Shaking his head, the redhead continued the chase until, after a while, he finally caught up to Alex.

“Gotcha!” He grabbed Alex and hoisted the blond over his shoulder, as he had done the night before. Alex didn't seem to appreciate that, as he tried to jab his elbow into Doyle's head and knock him out. Knowing Alex's tricks, Doyle avoided it and swung Alex back to the ground to confuse him, keeping a firm grip on the spy's arms to keep him from fleeing again. It seemed to work and Doyle found Alex staring up at him with teary eyes.

“Let me go, and you'll never have to see me again. That's what you want, isn't it? I never do anything right, I shouldn't even exist because of that. My parents died for me, Yassen died for me, Ash double-crossed me, MI6 use me, my uncle didn't care for me, Jack was caught in the crossfire...” Alex let a small sob escape his lips, “Soon you and the Saturdays are going to die because of me, one way or another! Sabina and the Pleasures are going to die! And I'm the catalyst of everyone wrong that happens!”

“No you're not.” Doyle soothed, his mood doing a complete 180 as he let the blond go, only to grab his hands gently, “You have no idea how wonderful a person you are, Alex, even if you do make the wrong choices. Your luck is to blame for everything bad, not you, and I'm willing to trust you again, give you another chance, if you'll do as Sabina said and give _yourself_ another chance.” Doyle dragged a hand through Alex's hair slowly, helping to calm the spy, “Will you try that? Just try it and see how things change. If they get worse, you can do whatever you want. Even-” The redhead felt his heart clench at the next words, “Even kill yourself if you wanted. But if they get better, then I want you to learn to love yourself again. As everyone keeps telling you, you're a good person, even if you don't see it. You even gave me something I never dreamed possible.” Doyle smiled widely as he remembered what Alex had inadvertently given him so long ago, “So, will you try?”

“...” Alex moved forward and buried his face into Doyle's chest, “I... I...” his voice wavered, “...Okay.”

“Thank you.” Doyle wrapped him in a hug, “You've been so strong this whole time, I knew you had to let things out soon. Everyone has to, you saw what happened to me, and no one is perfect.”

“I know that, but...” Alex hiccuped, “When I made you so mad at me for letting Ross take you, I thought it was over for good. And talking to Sab just made everything unravel, so I'm sorry I bolted.”

“It's okay, I get it. And I really am willing to give you a third chance if you give yourself one. You agreed, and this is one promise I don't want you breaking.”

“I won't. But like you said, my luck twists everything into something bad. I don't want you or Zak or Komodo or anyone getting hurt because of my luck, so I really should-” Doyle tightened his grip.

“You're not going anywhere, Alex. Not until I know you're giving yourself another chance.” Before Alex could argue back, his phone cut through the silence. He took it out, looked at the screen, and closed his eyes.

“God no, not now...” he moaned. Doyle growled.

“They always call at the worst time.” He covered Alex's hand that held the phone, “Just don't answer. They'll get the hint sooner or later.”

“They won't.” Alex sighed, “If I don't answer, they might assume something's happened, break into my phone to track it, and then they'll find you. I don't want them to know about you, so let me take this.” Doyle tightened his hand for a moment before letting Alex's hand go, where the blond answered.

“Rider. What is it, Jones?” Alex stared off into space, past his ex's shoulder as he spoke, “And you can't have another agent do this?...Oh. Yeah, I'll be at the drop-off.” The spy closed his phone and was forced to pull away from Doyle.

“Well?”

“Scorpia's active again, Jones thinks. Something's going on in the Middle East and they want me to check it out.”

“And no one else can go because it's Scorpia and you know them the most.” Alex nodded, not meeting Doyle's eyes. The redhead sighed, “Then take this.” He took out his promise earring and held it out for Alex to take, “Just to make sure you remember your promise, to keep trying to love yourself, to try living life again.”

“You don't have to.”

“But I want to.” Slowly, Alex took it and put it in his pocket. Doyle continued, “Good. I assume you're leaving now?”

“And I don't know when I'll be back.”

“I'm not really a religious person, but I'll pray for you as hard as I can for you to stay safe. And,” Doyle took the blond's chin and made Alex look at him, “This is for the times I hope we get to share again.” He leaned forward and kissed Alex on the lips. No tongue, no urgency, just pure love. Alex was still in shock when Doyle pulled away, blinking.

“...Why? If you know I might not come back, especially after all I did-”

“I still love you, Alex. I don't think I've expressed that enough over the past month since you've been back.” And then Doyle turned and left Alex alone, eyes still a little red from the outburst and a hand on his lips, trying to make sure that things were really happening. He never expected to make up with Doyle again, he never expected to get kissed again, but both had happened in the past few minutes. It was almost mind-blowing, and it made him realize that if he did this and finally got out of spying for good, if it wasn't for himself, it was certainly for Doyle. The other man deserved that for all they had gone through, and he was going to do his best to give himself another chance. He owed Doyle that much.


	30. Never Forgive or Never Forget?

After Alex had left and they had dropped off Sabina, everyone returned home, but nothing was well. Doyle was trying his hardest not to worry about Alex and to keep the other off his mind by increasing Zak's training, which the boy didn't like one bit, but he understood that Doyle was trying to get his mind off things. Alex and Doyle had tried getting back together, Alex had let him get taken by his worst enemy (even Zak was mad at Alex for that), they broke up, and now Zak didn't know if they were trying to try again for a third time or not. Did love have to be this complicated? If so, he wasn't sure he wanted to get into a relationship with Wadi just yet.

“Focus!” Doyle barked, snapping Zak from his thoughts as Doyle nearly pinned him to the ground. They were sparring, but Doyle seemed to be more aggressive this time than ever, speedy and strong and not all that nice. Zak used the Claw to get out of range and rested for a moment on a support beam above.

“Uncle Doyle, why are we still even training?” he asked, “I thought my last mission was at the resort town!” Zak had to duck as Doyle tried to shoot him off the beam with his blaster.

“Supposed to be that way.” the redhead agreed, “But after our final fight with Argost, your Dad and I thought it might be best to keep training you, especially since I still had a lost of teaching secrets I hadn't shared.”

“Like the stuff Alex taught you?” Doyle gave a small smile as he activated his jet-pack, reaching Zak and almost snagging the boy. Zak managed to use the Claw to get away again, and now they were chasing each other around the room in the air.

“Sort-of. Alex taught me a lot and now I'm passing some of it on to you.” Doyle finally caught Zak and it ended the training, where they returned to the ground to rest. They sat on a bench as Doyle continued, “I can't teach you everything he taught me, but I'm doing my best.” The ex-mercenary rubbed his face, “Just wish he was a little less self-loathing, though.” He shook his head, “Anyway, what do you think is the most important lesson I've taught you so far?” Zak thought back. He thought about the Black-Ops mission, all the spying and physical training, and came to a conclusion that included none of that.

“...I think the most important lesson you've taught me is how to forgive.” Doyle raised an eyebrow as Zak went on, “You've forgiven Alex for what he's done maybe twice now? I know whatever happened between you you'll never forget, but there's still forgiveness, right?”

“Zak...” Doyle shook his head, a dark frown on his face. He wasn't mad or anything, but he certainly didn't look happy. He seemed sad, really, “I didn't want you to learn that from me, from what's happened. I can't forget what Alex has done, and there are some things I can never forgive him for.”

“Like what? Like how he let you get taken by the person you hated the most?”

“I can't tell you.” was Doyle's only answer before the redhead got up and left his nephew behind. Zak stared after him and just wondered if things would end for better or for worse, but either way, he knew he would have to be there for his uncle. He may not have been really into the whole 'love' thing, but there was no reason for this to be another 'Abbey Incident.' They loved each other and had gone to a big effort to make that a reality again, only for a single dispute to nearly destroy it. But they why was it so much harder for Doyle to forgive Abbey than Alex? Possibly because Doyle was used to what Alex did, and because Alex was technically a good guy. Abbey used to be that way, nice and wonderful... Zak wondered what had made her change. Had it just been her greed, or was there something else? But what's done is done, there wasn't much use dwelling over something like that, the boy just had to focus on helping Doyle with whatever happened next, even if things ended badly.

* * *

Days passed, then a week, and then two. Now, Doyle was not an emotionally unstable person, even after what had happened with Ross, but as time went on, he became increasingly more and more worried for Alex's safety and life. The last time two weeks had passed in Alex's absence, well, everyone knew what had happened. Doyle didn't want that again, he didn't want Alex to be gone for maybe another 13 years or worse, to never be seen again. But this time, they had parted on not-so-well terms, unlike the first time. But maybe that also meant that Alex would come back this time, to help repair that relationship again, and the redhead just hoped that the blond would come home intact. It didn't help that he was having nightmares that Alex wasn't going to come back. Sometimes, his mind could be his worst enemy, especially how he was now thinking about the kiss he finally gave Alex.

He had given Alex a kiss to show how much he still cared, even after what Alex had done, even after he left him to get taken by Ross, but he was now doubting if that was a good idea. The spy could be sly and cunning if he wanted to be, and with how long he had been gone, the ex-mercenary wondered if the kiss was the only reason Alex had come back. It was a self-centered, conceited reason, but a reason nonetheless, and though Doyle knew Alex well, he wasn't sure how much the blond had changed. Who knew, he could be self-centered now and hid it. But Doyle was pretty certain it wasn't the case, even as his mind tried to tell him otherwise.

 _He's not back after two weeks, like last time. He doesn't care about you anymore. You're nothing but a toy to him, so cut ties and move on._ Doyle's mind kept telling this to him, but he just couldn't do that to Alex. Alex meant too much, even if he was a jerk, so no matter how much Doyle wanted to push Alex away, he couldn't.

“Maybe Ross was right.” he murmured to himself, alone in his room, “Maybe _I'm_ the sucker for pain.” However, he wasn't as alone as he thought he was, since soon after, a shadow slunk out of his room and into the hallway. Color came back to it, revealing Komodo, who had overheard and guessed what Doyle was thinking. The Saturdays were just as worried about Alex as the redhead was and Komodo took it upon himself to show Doyle that Alex _was_ coming back. He had heard Drew mention pulling trackers on Alex and Doyle to see where they would go shortly before the 'Ross Incident,' so Komodo knew he needed to head over to the nearest computer and bring up the tracking program and find Alex, wherever the spy was.

As he traversed the halls, Komodo mentally went over his... _frenemy_ relationship to Alex. Well, it wasn't really 'frenemy,' but he wasn't sure how else to describe it. First, Alex had kicked him in the chin and Komodo had noted him as a 'sworn enemy' (Alex had really not thought much of Komodo other than being a dangerous lizard he didn't want to be on the bad side of). Second, Komodo slightly forgave Alex when the blond gave him an ice-pack to soothe his hurting jaw. Third, Komodo had willing helped Alex track down Doyle when the ex-mercenary was half-cryptid (Alex _so_ owed him for that). They hadn't done much for each other after that, but they were kinda-friends, kinda-enemies (on Komodo's side, at least). The lizard, after going over all this, came to a stop and sighed. Alex was an idiot, but he was a _smart_ idiot, so he might have disabled the tracker Drew had put on him, just in case Doyle tried to go after him. But Komodo was his sorta-friend, so he had to at least try to find Alex.

Besides, seeing Doyle moping was his definition of a 'lovesick' person and he hated seeing anyone lovesick. It reminded him too much of his own, previously-existent love-life.

* * *

**Cryptid Translator: ON**

After Komodo's failed attempt to find Alex and Doyle's increasing worry, Fisk wondered if there was something he could do. He wasn't exactly the closest to Doyle, but neither was Doc, so he had as good a chance to help the redhead as the tanned man did, right? So, to begin helping Doyle, Fisk tried to list things that made Doyle happy...and could only come up with Zak, Drew, and Alex, and the ex-mercenary wasn't really talking to anyone right now. Fisk wasn't even going to _try_ bringing up Alex, that would be a disaster, so he tried to think of what else could help Doyle. He had seen Doyle with a computer at times, so maybe there was something on the laptop that would help?

Waiting until Doyle left his bedroom, Fisk crawled in from outside and grabbed the laptop from under the bed. He didn't want to alarm Doyle by taking it, so he tried to look into the laptop while hanging from the ceiling. Finding it was password-blocked, the Lemurian took a chance and typed in Alex's name, quickly accessing the computer, and on the screen were dozens of emails from a person named 'Dylan.' Since the named was all that was on there, maybe there was something about this 'Dylan' person that cheered Doyle up, so Fisk looked into one of the emails.

_So, how was your latest mission? See Finster again? I don't know how you got on that guy's bad side, but-_

“What the hell, Fisk?!” With a yelp, Fisk fumbled with the laptop, where it fell out of his hands and nearly hit the floor, if not for Doyle catching it in a baseball slide. The gorilla-cat returned to the floor, only to be met with the angriest glare he had ever seen on Doyle.

“I-” Fisk tried.

“Don't you know not to go through people's stuff?!” Doyle snarled, cradling the laptop as if it was his child, “You have no idea how private this thing is!”

“I was trying to help!” To Doyle's ears, Fisk's words sounded more like gibberish, but after spending so long with the Saturdays, he could understand bits and pieces of what Fisk was saying.

“Help?! Going through my stuff is not _helping_!” Doyle briefly took his eyes off of Fisk to examine the laptop for any damage.

“I wanted to cheer you up, so I thought it would help-”

“My laptop is off-limits, Furball!” Fisk narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. If Doyle had had this computer for a long time, even if it was private, why did no one know about it? And who was the mysterious Dylan? The Lemurian was now curious enough to brave the redhead's anger to learn the truth.

“Then why does no one know about it?”

“It's private!”

“That doesn't mean no one else should know about it.” Doyle grit his teeth and took a deep breath, as if to calm himself.

“Fiskerton, stop asking me about this.” The ex-mercenary put the laptop on the bed, “This holds a lot of very important stuff to me, things that no one knows, not even Alex, and I want to keep it that way. So leave it be.”

“But who's Dylan?” Doyle froze at the name, “Why did you tell him about Baron Finster? He's a man you've barely even told us about, and you told Dylan?”

“Dylan's a special person.” Fisk narrowed his eyes.

“ _How_ special? Did you cheat-?!”

“I have _never_ cheated on Alex!” Doyle cut him off, “Abbey is the only person I have fallen for since Alex and that was because I was certain I'd never see him again! And Dylan is more special than any lover.”

“Then who is he?”

“...If I tell you, promise to keep it a secret.” Doyle wasn't glaring at Fisk in anger, but in sternness, “I mean it, Fisk. If any of this gets out before I'm ready to talk about it, I will have your _hide_. Do I make myself clear?” The redhead didn't seem to be joking, so the gorilla-cat hesitantly nodded. Doyle went on, “Dylan is one of my best friends, and he's...he's my son.” Fisk gasped.

“How?!” the cryptid asked, “You said you never cheated on Alex and yet you have a son! Did you adopt him?! Tell me!”

“No. It's kinda complicated, Fisk, and remember that you promised to not tell anyone. If you do...” Doyle gave a grim smile, “Well, I told you what'd happen, and I meant it. Now, get out.” Fisk did so and shivered at the shark-like feeling he had gotten from Doyle at the end, the fearful apprehension that Doyle would certainly be good to his word. Fisk would keep the secret, like Doyle had kept his, but he did wonder: If Dylan was Doyle's son, how did he appear?

**Cryptid Translator: OFF**

* * *

When three weeks had passed, it was like Doyle had shut down, his body going on auto-pilot while his mind was elsewhere. It was like each week was a different stage of worry. He hadn't worried much the first week, second week he was worrying like crazy, and third week, he'd given up on Alex. It seemed not even Doyle was willing to wait too long for Alex if he was gone for a certain amount of time. And Drew was not willing to put up with it, because this was not the brother she knew.

She had her arms crossed as she stared at him, watching as he stared off into space while he sat on his bed. When he shut down, it had been sudden, and Doyle had proceeded to do nothing but the basics since then, and his sister was tired of it.

“Doyle.” Drew spoke his name, hoping to get s reaction, but there was nothing, barely even a blink. She sighed and sat on the bed beside him, but there was still nothing, so she talked again, “Look at me.”

“What.” The redhead finally said something, but he still refused to look at his sister.

“What's wrong?” Doyle was silent, “I mean it. Talk to me. You're scaring everyone.”

“Nothing's wrong.” He closed his eyes.

“Yes there is.” Drew insisted, “It's Alex, isn't it?”

“...He's never been gone this long.” Doyle clenched a fist, “I don't think he's dead, but it's hard to believe. Either that or he's not coming back, like he wanted.” Drew softened.

“So you've just shut down to deal with this?”

“I don't know, you tell me.” Doyle opened his eyes and, though they were mostly blank, there was some emotion in them. He _still_ didn't look at her, though.

“He's probably just been detained or something for some reason.”

“He's never been gone this long.” the ex-mercenary repeated.

“Maybe he'll be back soon. You have to keep hoping.” Doyle's lips twitched.

“That's rich, considering us.” Drew frowned.

“I didn't give up for years.”

“Well, I barely remembered you or our parents. Besides, being a spy has a high mortality rate, I think. It's not likely he's coming back, one way or another.”

“Doyle-”

“Leave me alone, Drew.” When he finally looked at his sister, his eyes were dark and frowning, “This is not the first time I've had to deal with losing Alex, so let me deal with it in my own way.” Drew opened her mouth to protest, paused, then closed it, got up, and walked out. She understood grief, even if Alex wasn't really dead, and it had taken a while for Doyle to get used to losing Van Rook. She should give him the time he wanted, even if she felt it wasn't the right choice.

* * *

Another week had passed and it was now Halloween. Drew and Doc were taking Zak out for the holiday and, though Doyle was now slightly better, he declined to go with them. Halloween had never been his thing, anyway. Four weeks had passed since Alex had gone on his mission and Doyle was still having a hard time getting over the spy, mixed with nightmares and autophobia and just heartache in general, but he was doing better, at least.

“You sure you don't wanna come?” Doc asked Doyle as Drew fussed over Zak's costume (he had dressed up to look like Fisk, who was also going with them).

“Yeah, Professor.” Doyle nodded, “And don't worry, Bottomless Pit and Jurassic are keeping me company. Also can't go out, just in case I get spotted by one of the guys who has a bounty on my head.” Doc shook his head.

“Honestly...” he sighed, “Well, we'll see you around midnight, then.”

“Good luck.”

“You too.” Doyle, Zon, and Komodo waved to their family as Doc, Drew, Zak, and Fisk went out for the night. Though they lived far from town, it wouldn't take them long to get there and spend the night happily scaring others and getting all the candy they wanted. Doyle stayed until he could barely see them in the darkness, then turned away and went back into the compound, the reptiles following him worriedly. Zon gave a small trill and brushed her head against his hand, hoping for a pet to help him get his mind off things, but Doyle ignored her. Komodo hissed, trying to get his attention, but Doyle ignored him as well.

“Leave me alone.” he asked quietly. They didn't want to, wondering what Doyle was going to do, but left him be for the time being. They made shifts to check on Doyle every-so-often, but nothing happened at all, with the exception of Doyle going back to work of the puzzle box Alex had given him for his birthday. That had been almost seven weeks ago, hadn't it? September 13, and now it was Halloween. Almost three weeks Alex had stayed, four weeks since Alex had left, and yet the blond had left a terrible impression on everyone. Zak still loved him and hoped he came back, Drew, Doc, and the cryptids weren't sure if Alex would come back, and Doyle was hopeless that he'd ever see Alex again. Zak was the only one who was hopeful enough, and they all wondered when they would have to tell him that Alex wasn't going to return. The boy had seen death, he'd seen some harsh parts of reality, but he still didn't know much about love and the heartbreak of losing a loved one, whether through their own terms or not. Doyle, Drew, and even Komodo had already been through that, and they thought about teaching Zak that lesson or letting him go through it on his own. Alex was not exactly a loved one to Zak, but he had still left of his own volition, like a parent abandoning their lover and child to live on their own, and Zak knew about that kind of abandonment, but he still hoped Alex would come back. The spy had so much to return to, and he had promised Doyle, didn't he? He promised to come back, Alex couldn't give that up...but who was Zak to judge?

Frustrated at being unable to open the box once again, Doyle threw it across the room, where it landed on Alex's bed, untouched since Alex had left. He wondered what the point was for him to open the box if Alex wasn't going to be with him again. But he was curious to find out what was in it, what Alex had so meticulously hidden yet wanted to show him, and he wondered if that was the point, if the spy had done that on purpose so that Doyle would continue to solve the box until he knew what was inside. It was a cruel but surefire way, and Doyle understood it, even if he didn't like it. Sighing, he left his room and went to walk around, planning to work on the puzzle box later. He let his feet take him wherever, just wandering the halls, sometimes catching glimpses of the cryptids, and soon found himself outside, right in front of the repaired wall doors. He stared at them for a moment, remembering how they were broken down twice to get at him and Alex, and shivered at the memories. But just as Doyle was about to go inside, he heard a small sound come from the other side of the stone entrance. He paused for a moment, straining to hear another sound, and he did. It was the small sound of knocking on stone, as if you were on the other side of a door. Doyle turned back, curious at who could be on the other side, but wasn't sure if he should open the doors. After all, it was Halloween, it could be a prank or something. And yet... Doyle went over to the control panel on the side of the doors and typed in the code to open them, and what he saw left him in shock.

“...I came back, didn't I?” Alex smiled, his face and body more battered than the ex-mercenary had ever seen, “I'm making sure to make good on my promises this time, and I'm trying to think good of myself again, like you wanted me to.” One arm was in a cast and his face looked like a very bruised fruit, not to mention how he held his leg up in a limp as if it was hurting or broken and holding his chest. He was in worse shape than the Brazil mission and it was a wonder why he wasn't in a hospital, or if he had just escaped one.

“...I thought you were gone forever.” Doyle hesitantly walked over to Alex, reaching out then pulling back, unsure if it really was him. He would have done so the first time he saw Alex if he hadn't been so consumed with anger.

“I can understand that.” Alex tried to take a step but fell, only not hitting the ground because Doyle caught him.

“How the hell did you manage to get up here again in this shape?!” Carrying the blond bridal-style, Doyle took Alex inside, heading straight to the Medical Bay.

“As soon as I was stable, I wanted to come back and show you that I'm following your and Sabina's advice.” Alex closed his eyes, “I was bandaged at a hospital, but I think my stitches got broken from my trek here.”

“I can see how that would've happened.” Doyle mused, barely any humor in his voice, “How did you even...?” The redhead paused when he realized Alex had passed out and that made him worry even more over Alex, so he picked up the pace and ran to the Medical Bay. He had so many more questions, but they could wait until Alex was better and awake once again. He just wondered why Alex didn't even try contacting him as soon as he was safe again, but maybe he couldn't, maybe he still didn't want MI6 to know about that Saturdays and Doyle. The ex-mercenary was sure there was no point to that anymore, Alex had to have known, so maybe there was another reason why Alex couldn't or wouldn't contact him. Hopefully the spy would be able to answer that, among other things, when he was better.

Doyle was not going to let Alex leave a third time, mission or not. Not if this was what he got in return, and not if he still had a few things of his own to explain.


	31. Gonna Stay In Love Somehow

Zon and Komodo tried not to look conspicuous as they looked into the Medical Bay, watching as Doyle cared for Alex. They had seen him rushing inside with the terribly injured spy and had followed, but now weren't sure if they should make a move or not. They watched as Doyle changed Alex's bandages and tried to help the bruising with cold compresses, attaching a heart monitor to Alex's wrist to make sure he would know if Alex's heart failed, and so on. They watched as Doyle checked the broken stitches and frowned, knowing he wouldn't be able to fix them until Alex was awake and sitting up, so the redhead bandaged them for now.

“What kind of Hell did you go through after four weeks to achieve this?” Doyle muttered quietly, yet the cryptids managed to hear it. They glanced at each other, also curious, but didn't say anything and continued to watch, wondering if they'd be needed. A few times Doyle noticed them but paid no mind, too focused on keeping Alex alive and still breathing to bother. Eventually, after doing all he could, Doyle sat and put his head in his hands, and that was when Komodo and Zon decided to approach. Their noses wrinkled at the smell of blood in the air as they got closer and closer, and when they reached Doyle, they found him silently crying. Unsurprised by this, Zon wrapped her wings around him in a hug while Komodo curled at his feet. Doyle didn't make a sound, but he did reach down to stroke Komodo. He was grateful for their approach and willingness to help, even if they didn't know how. And so the three of them waited, both for their family to return and for Alex to wake, because Doyle had had enough and was going to tell Alex the truth before the blond went off again and died. He was also not going to go off again if the redhead had anything to say about it, unless he snuck away, and that was not on Doyle's agenda.

Hours passed before Alex woke up, groggy and sleepy and confused and hurting all over, but at least he was alive. He glanced around, trying to get his bearings, and found Doyle watching over him, the ex-mercenary now all calmed down and checking his bandages again. Zon and Komodo were on his other side, watching over him, and gave sounds of surprise and happiness when they saw him awake.

“...I thought it was a dream or something.” Alex admitted softly, causing Doyle to pause, “I thought I dreamed it all, escaping the hospital and climbing up here, all of it.”

“Are you glad it's not?” The redhead rested a hand in Alex's hair and tightened his grip slightly when the blond closed his eyes.

“Yeah.” Alex opened them again.

“Can I ask what happened?”

“This doesn't give you any hints?” he murmured sarcastically. Doyle's lips twitched and he rolled his eyes.

“Very funny, but I mean it. What happened to you that made you go missing for four weeks?” Alex was quiet, his eyes looking away from everyone as he thought back.

“...Part of it was because I was in the hospital. The other part is because I was captured and it took over two weeks for someone to free me.” Alex moved his cast arm, “They did all of this to me, and they're not done. Scorpia is still out there, even after I went after them again. I only came back to see you before I left again, this time for good.”

“You're not going anywhere in the shape you're in, understand?” Doyle growled, “Now sit up so I can repair your stitches.” Alex didn't say a word but complied, allowing the others to see the myriad of broken stitches that seemed to barely be holding his back together. Zon and Komodo looked away, feeling uneasy at the sight, while Doyle just got the stitching supplies and sat behind Alex before he began. This was not the first time he had had to repair Alex's stitches, but he hoped it was the last. He almost didn't hear the door open again and he assumed it was because the cryptids had left, but no, it was the opposite: The Saturdays had returned.

* * *

Scars littered Alex's torso, from side to side, from below the pants line to the neck. The blond didn't even flinch as Doyle stuck the needle into his skin over and over again, sewing one of various new injuries shut. It was like the Brit was drugged up with morphine or something, but there were no needles, so Alex was managing to stand the pain by himself. Drew felt the need to cover Zak's eyes but knew the boy had already seen them, so there was no need, but she tried anyway. Zak didn't push her hand away, glad to be rid of the horrible sight.

“Sorry.” Alex spoke when he noticed the Saturdays, “Wish you didn't have to see this.”

“Good lord, what happened to you?!” cried Doc.

“MI6 happened.” Doyle spat, fury inching in at the mention of the organization, “All of his scars are from various missions he's had to take on from them and they'll never go away.”

“But at least I've got someone to take care of me.” Alex tried to smile, but it didn't quite match the tone. Doyle softened at this and raised a bloodied hand to rub Alex's head, slightly smearing blood into the blond's hair. His hand had been covered in blood as he had fixed Alex's stitches and he knew it didn't matter to his ex if he got more blood in his hair or not.

“Yeah, at least you've got that.” the redhead agreed in a soft tone. The Saturdays and cryptids then left them alone, where Doyle finished up and they just sat there, the redhead behind Alex, resting his hands on the other's sides, and both completely silent. Until the spy spoke up.

“...I almost didn't come back.” the spy admitted in a whisper, causing Doyle to freeze and tighten his grip slightly, but not enough to irritate the injuries, “If it wasn't for the new tech guy, probably wouldn't have.”

“What do you mean?” Doyle's voice shook slightly. Had he almost lost Alex without realizing it? How lucky he was to have another chance to tell Alex the truth!

“MI6 sent me on a suicide mission.” the Brit smiled bitterly, “I'm getting too old to be an effective agent in fooling others, along with my reputation, and they knew that Scorpia would only stop once I was dead, so they sent me in with no way to contact them and no way out. Or, at least, that's what they thought.” Alex used his good hand to search his pockets until he took out a piece of paper, dotted with small spots of blood, “The new tech guy they have, named Jeeves, had given me some gadgets that worked, and some fake ones because he was ordered to. But he liked me and put this in the case of the fake watch they gave me, and coincidentally helped me realize what kind of situation I was in.” he put it away, “MI6 don't want me anymore, and I don't know if they'll come after me, but now I'm free of them. I'm f*cking free, like you wanted, and now I don't have to worry about being called away for a life-or-death situation to save the world, because MI6 don't want me.” Tears were now rolling down his cheeks, “But at least I've got you. I've got my freedom now, but all I really wanted was you, and now we can spend all our time together again without having to worry I might go off and get myself killed. Scorpia's still out there, but I don't care. They can go f*ck themselves now that I'm free and I've got what I want at last!”

“...So you lied when you said you came back for the last time?” Doyle gently hugged Alex from behind, resting his head in the crook of Alex's neck. He raised a hand and, without looking, wiped Alex's tears away with an expert touch. The blond closed his eyes to just feel what his ex was doing.

“No.” Alex took a shaky breath, “I may not care that Scorpia's still out there, but I care about you and the Saturdays. They will hunt me down until I am dead and will use any means necessary to do that. But it's mind of a moot point, since they already know how close I am to you, but I have to try.”

“But you said you didn't have to go back to MI6, that the only reason you did was to save the world. Was that a lie?”

“No. They didn't really have any power over me, but if I started trying to get out of missions, I have no doubt they would have caused my death early so that I wouldn't be of use to anyone.” Alex gave a snort, “After all, I joined Scorpia for a time before going back to MI6. They wouldn't want that happening again.”

“So now both sides want you dead.” Doyle surmised. Alex hummed in agreement and the hum made Doyle feel better that Alex was still here, still alive, and despite what happened with Ross, they were getting close again. It was almost like trust wasn't an issue anymore, even though it was.

“...Do you trust me?” Alex opened an eye in confusion, trying to glance at Doyle.

“Of course I trust you.” the blond turned his head to get a better look, both eyes now open, “If anything, you're one of the few I trust and the only one I trust completely with anything besides myself, even though I haven't told you everything.”

“Well, I haven't told you everything, either. About what happened after we separated.” Alex's eyebrows shot up.

“I shouldn't be surprised, but I guess things change. You wanna tell me about it?”

“Yeah, now that you've brushed with death twice over the past four weeks.”

“More than twice.” Alex scoffed. Doyle rolled his eyes, giving a small smile.

“Yeah, I know you like to keep track of that. Anyway, the thing is...” Doyle wanted to tell Alex about Dylan, but his throat was closing up, as if his body didn't want to give the answer while his mind did. Maybe, subconsciously, he _really_ wasn't ready yet. But he had to speak, he'd almost lost Alex and he wasn't going to risk that again.

“'Is?'” Alex prodded. Doyle took a deep breath.

“I have a- Well, just- D*mnit, why is this so hard to say?!” The ex-mercenary brought up a hand to rub his face, “I nearly lost you again and I want to tell you, but I can't!”

“Maybe it's because you're not ready.” Alex mused, patting Doyle's arm to reassure him.

“But it's very important thing and I want to tell you, but the words just won't come out! I don't want you to _not_ know this.”

“Must be really important, then.”

“More than you can ever imagine.” This piqued Alex's curiosity, but with Doyle unable to tell him, he didn't try to get more into it. Instead, he leaned into Doyle, wincing slightly as it irritated his wounds, but that didn't matter. He liked how Doyle's grip on his suddenly tightened in surprise at the gesture before slowly relaxing, and the ex-mercenary asked, “Why do you trust me like this?”

“Because of what we had, and because you're a good person.” Alex turned his head away, “I may never can get that version of you back, but I still know that you're a good person. You may have been a mercenary, but that doesn't mean you're evil. I may not make the best judge of character, but I know for certain that you're a nice person. When we had what we had, you always cheered me up and made the best of things, even when I was beating myself down and terrified that I'd hurt you. Besides my spying, I never did anything you didn't want because I never wanted you to be sad or mad at me.” Alex held up his good arm, “I felt terrible when you found out that I was hurting myself, so I stopped because of you. I honestly don't know where I'd be now without you, love.”

“Probably dead.” said Doyle, taking Alex's offered hand in his, “And I'm glad I found you, too. Not just because you saved me, but because I may not have ever gotten out more and found my family after so long. If you hadn't been there, if I had still been out on the streets...” he shrugged, “I'd either be dead or still alone, possibly worse.”

“Nothing worse that being broken and alone.” Alex murmured and Doyle got the feeling he knew that from experience.

“You're not alone now, and I'll make sure you never will be again. You may have been broken, but I helped repair you the best I could.”

“And that's all I could ask for, because you made me better than I ever thought possible. But...” Alex frowned, “ _I_ broke _you_. I hurt you by not coming back and you had to leave so that you wouldn't be caught again, and I'll never be able to leave that behind. You won't, either.”

“And I don't, but I'm not dwelling on it. You shouldn't either.” Doyle said, “What's past is past. I still held a grudge when I saw you again because you hurt me so badly, but now that I have that out of my system, I just don't think about it. It was a bad time in my life, I don't ignore that, but I don't think about it because I focus on the here and now. But, if something comes up about the past, I might not leave it behind.” At that, Alex seemed to pause. Doyle frowned, knowing Alex was thinking about those words, and wondered what it was about them that disturbed the blond. He had never learned the truth of the mission that had made Alex leave, so maybe there was something about the mission that connected to his words. Was Alex afraid that, if he told Doyle about the mission, the redhead would break off things for good? Doyle hoped not, because he couldn't think of any reason that would make him do that unless it was something really bad.

“...I should probably tell you about what happened that made me leave,” Alex began, “but like you, I don't think I have the certainty to do it yet.”

“If you're afraid you'll hurt me, it's okay.” Doyle assured, “The truth hurts, I understand that all too well, but sometimes, it's necessary.”

“Yeah, I know that lesson too, and I understand that, but I don't think I can right now. Sometimes it can be too much to take.”

“I know what you mean.” Doyle thought back, “When Drew and I learned the truth about Argost, we tried to hunt him down and kill him with our bare hands. We were so consumed by our revenge, especially Drew, that we lost sight of what was important and Van Rook.” Doyle closed his eyes, “My sister grew up with monks most of her life and I just traveled around with no place to call home. We never knew that the other was still alive and we lost 27 years of our life and our parents, all because of a power-hungry yeti who thought killing humans was _fun_.” Doyle grit his teeth, “I'm glad he's gone, I just wish it wasn't at the cost of Van Rook's life.” Alex gave no answer, so the redhead went on, “But there's also something else I wanted to talk about.”

“Yeah?”

“What did that kiss mean to you? The one I gave you before you left?”

“What do you mean?” Doyle paused.

“...After you were gone for a few days, I began to think that you'd only come back for another kiss and was just going to leave me behind again. That was in my head half the time and when we got to the two-week mark, I was beginning to believe it. It was either that or you'd died on the mission, and I firmly believed that part when we hit the three-week mark. So tell me, what did that big d*mn kiss mean to you?” Alex said nothing for a moment and, feeling that he was possibly asking too much, Doyle began to pull away. He was mistaken, however, as Alex suddenly turned around and kissed him on the lips. The ex-mercenary froze, surprised, and when Alex showed that he was going for nothing more than the most simple, Doyle kissed back. There was no tongue, no huge passion, no grabbing of hair or speed, just slow love.

“Does that answer your question?” Alex asked when he pulled away. Doyle smiled.

“I think it does. Thank you.” Alex smiled back.

“Thank _you_.” It dropped, however, as he thought about something, “Even though I trust you, even after what I did, do you trust _me_?”

“...” Doyle's smile also faded and Alex was afraid of a bad answer, so he turned away, but then was pulled back by a gentle hand to his face, where he found Doyle watching him earnestly. They met eyes as the younger yet bigger man spoke, “Alex, you are the light of my life, and despite what you've done, I will still love and trust you. I am giving you another chance and I know you're not going to break it because you're not that kind of person, because you'll do anything to keep us together, and so will I. That's why I'm willing to trust you again.” Doyle leaned back, dropping his hand, “Ross said I'm the sucker for pain, but I think he's wrong because we don't keep coming back to each other because we're dependent, but because we know we both can do better and we're both willing to do the effort to make that a reality. Do you agree?”

“...I do.” Alex slowly nodded as a smile broke out on his face again, “I still need a bit of help in believing in myself, but I'm trying to make that true, and I want us to be a couple again because I can't see anything else happening with me.” His smile turned sad, “I really don't have anywhere else to go, anyway.”

“I'm willing to be your boyfriend again if you'll be mine.” Doyle tried to cheer him up.

“Of course I will, love.” The blond leaned into the redhead's frame and Doyle's arms wrapped around him again, embracing and keeping the other safe from whatever might threaten to break them apart again.

* * *

 _Despite Alex's belief that they were still being watched, Doyle managed to convince the blond to let him go out for a day. He'd seen New York City before (he'd been living there when he got caught), but after being cooped up for several months, he thought he deserved a chance to get out and stretch his legs (especially since_ Just Dance _and inventing weren't cutting it anymore). Alex greatly disagreed and was nervous as they stepped out of the safety of the building where they lived, Doyle stretching in the humid and chilly April air, taking a deep breath. He knew his freedom wasn't going to last long, so he wanted to make the best of it._

_“Okay, so I know we'll be avoiding Times Square, but the rest of NYC isn't a bee's nest of news, so we should be fine, right?” Doyle said and got an irritated glare in return._

_“We shouldn't even be_ doing _this...” Alex said, defeated. They had argued about this day for a long time and no matter Alex's excuse, Doyle would manage to counteract it, and Alex had dreaded the day Doyle would manage to get it. It's not that he just wanted Doyle all to himself (which he did), but he worried for Doyle's safety and the stability of the mission. They still had a job to do, no matter how much they both hated it._

_“Well, thank you for at least giving me this one day.” The redhead said. That caused Alex to brighten up a bit, smiling slightly._

_“No problem. I know stir-crazy, so I know how you feel.” The blond took Doyle's hand and began to lead the way, “Let's start with Central Park and work from there, okay?”_

_“Fine by me.” And so they went, taking some pictures along the way because Alex wanted to 'preserve the moment.' Doyle didn't really know what the point was to the pictures if they were always going to remember this, but he allowed it because this was not the first time Alex had gotten 'photographic fever.' They were seriously considering get some photo albums for all the pictures Alex had taken in their time together, but Doyle loved the little quirk. He supposed it could have stemmed from Alex being a spy, needing to capture everything on film to find enemies in the background, but it was still fun nonetheless._

_“This may surprise you, but I wasn't really a photogenic person until you came along.” Alex confessed as they ate lunch in a cafe. He would have preferred a restaurant to keep them out of the public eye, but with their relationship and the state of the world on homosexuality, that would have been very suspicious, possibly humiliating, and dangerous. He didn't like being in a cafe, either, since they could be spied on, but he didn't have much of a choice._

_“Oh really.” Doyle muttered, “And I suppose you might be surprised at my sarcasm.” Alex chuckled softly, causing Doyle to smile._

_“I mean it, Peter Pan.” he said, “I left all the photo-taking to other spies who were stuck on surveillance duty, but when you came along, I knew I'd fallen for you and I needed to make it last, especially if you never returned my feelings.” Doyle gave a hum as he sipped on a Sweet Tea, then his nose wrinkled as he caught the taste._

_“They_ say _Sweet Tea up here, but it's nothing like how they make it in the South.” He pushed the drink away._

_“You might think that, but I've tried both and it's not bad either way.”_

_“Still prefer Southern Sweet Tea. Anyway, I can understand that.” Doyle's gaze turned down to stare at the table in sadness, “I wish I had photos of my parents.” Alex's fingers twitched, wanting to hold Doyle's hand to comfort him, but could only close his eyes and sigh._

_“I know what you mean. I have a few of those on me, of my parents, but unlike you, I never really knew them.”_

_“I barely know them anyway. I was only four when I lost them.” Doyle looked at Alex, “How old were you?”_

_“Around three weeks.” The redhead winced._

_“Well, it's not as terrible as it could be. I can still remember them, just barely, and sometimes I wonder if what happened was just a dream, that I never had parents or a sister.” Doyle rubbed his face, “You don't have that memory, so it's not as hurtful.”_

_“You're wrong.” The blond shook his head, “I may not have known what they were like, but it still hurts, especially after all I've learned about them.” Doyle was sure Alex was wrong on that regard but didn't correct him, and so they were left in silence for the rest of their lunch. They cheered up after leaving the cafe, going on with their day, and much to Alex's surprise and suspicion, nothing happened to indicate they had been found out. Of course, he could be wrong, but he felt that they had somehow managed to survive the day in peace, and that was all he could ever ask for. It got even better as he got to cuddle on the couch with Doyle as they watched TV, and Alex knew he hadn't felt this content in a long time. In fact, he was so content he was falling asleep!_

_“Huh.” The redhead mused in a whisper after looking down and finding that Alex was asleep, “Maybe worrying all day wore him out.” Doyle turned off the TV and took Alex into his arms, trying not to wake the other as he took Alex to their bedroom. He tried to get ready for bed, but Alex was holding onto him, unable to let go of his shirt, so Doyle was forced to go to bed with his clothes on. He didn't mind, honestly, especially since he got the feeling it just made them closer. They were boyfriends now and might become something more, and he wasn't going to do anything to destroy that._


	32. Ancient History

Fisk Monday nudged Zak, trying to wake the boy. How long had it been since they had been stuck there? Komodo, Zon, and Fisk had managed to find Zak, against all odds, but only because Alex had captured them. When Zak only murmured in his sleep, Fisk sighed and held the boy closer. Even though he wasn’t the worst of the cryptids, he wasn’t a good one, either, yet he couldn’t help but care for the boy. It had been so long since anyone had seen him, and Zak hadn’t been in the best shape when they found him. Well, neither had they, but who knew how long Zak had been under Alex’s care? And the blond man was an insane b*st*rd, no buts about it. Even now, Komodo was elsewhere, being ‘interrogated’ to figure out how Doyle Whitewell was in the Matter World, and that was being _kind_. If Fisk had visible ears, they would’ve drooped at the thought of what Alex could be doing to the lizard.

“How is he?” Zon asked, hopping over. She held one arm to her chest, as it had been broken days previously and not taken care of, and she wondered if it would heal right. Probably not.

“Still asleep. What about your wing?” Zon tried not to shrug, shaking her head instead.

“Same as yesterday.” She looked down at it, frowning, “It seemed to have swelled a little more, though.”

“It needs to get fixed.”

“As if Alex will ever do that. He doesn’t need us, and it’s a wonder how he left Zak alive for this long.” She nudged the boy gently with her beak, her voice lowering to a whisper, “How is he even still alive? I thought, with what happened in the Matter World...”

“Well, since Saturday is alive, it should’ve made sense that our Zak was still alive.” Fisk looked down at Zak, “I know he’s told us about what’s happened, but what about him? Will he be okay after this is all over?”

“Who knows?” Both cryptids looked up when they heard footsteps approach and Zon moved closer to Fisk, giving a small hiss. If she wasn’t injured, she would’ve held up her wings to make herself look bigger and try to scare them off, as was her instinct, but then realized that it was no use either way; last time she had tried it, they had broken her wing for her trouble. As it was, there were other, uncomforting sounds, the door was opened, and the guard threw in Komodo. THe lizard struggled to his feet as the door was slammed closed and it looked worse than he had left. There were dried cuts across his body and one of his back legs was at an odd angle, showing that it was either broken or sprained, as was his tail, and one of his eyes was swollen shut. At least Alex didn’t ‘interrogate’ Komodo constantly, otherwise Fisk and Zon were sure he would’ve been dead days ago.

“Not as bad as usual...” Komodo coughed, having been punched more than once, and he could taste blood in his mouth, “Hopefully there’s not any internal damage.” He slowly made his way over to the others, “Has he woken yet?”

“No.” answered Zon. Komodo sighed, then coughed again. Drops of blood dropped from his mouth but he ignored it, curling up on Fisk’s other side.

“He’s been out for a few days.” surmised the lizard, “I hope he wakes soon.”

“Don’t we all...” Fisk murmured, “And why is Alex still hurting you? Didn’t you tell him days ago?”

“Yes, but either he doesn’t believe me or he does it because he’s bored.” Komodo shivered, “I think he mostly does the latter.”

“As much as I hope Zak wakes up, I hope we get out of here alive.” said Zon.

“You and us both.” Komodo agreed.

* * *

“Have a 5?”

“No. Go Fish.” Alex drew a card and but it in his immobilized left hand before glancing up at Doyle. The two were sitting on Alex’s bed in the Medical Bay, trying to pass the time.

“Hmm...” Doyle glanced between his cards and Alex, “Have any 3s?”

“Nope. Go Fish.” Doyle took a card.

“...You need a bath, y’know.” Alex paused for a second.

“What do you mean?” Doyle gestured at the blond.

“I know I changed your bandages, but who knows how long it’s been since you washed!”

“And your point is?” Alex raised an eyebrow as Doyle frowned and put down his cards.

“I’m making you get a bath, whether you need it or not. Besides,” He reached up to put a hand in Alex’s hair, “you’ve got a little blood up here from when we comforted each other yesterday.”

“Oh, right.” Alex took his cards from his immobile hand and put them down as well, “Do you have anything to cover the cast? I mean, it’s got waterproof material on it, but I know from experience it’s not completely waterproof.”

“I think there’s some cast covers around here somewhere.” Doyle got up, “And what about your leg? You were limping yesterday and I checked it over, but nothing seemed to be broken or sprained.”

“It wasn’t, but I had an injury on it before and it flared up when I had to walk so much to get here.” Alex moved said leg, “Doesn’t hurt now.”

“So, it’s like your bullet scar? Hurts when you exert yourself too much?” The blond nodded as he stood as well, “And your arm?”

“It’s been a few weeks.” Alex moved his fingers, “They’re sore, so maybe it’s near time I can take it off.”

“After two weeks?” Doyle was surprised.

“Of course it’s not completely healed, but it seems to have healed enough for the cast to come off.” Doyle came back over with a cast cover and touched the rock-hard object.

“How much longer?”

“Three to six months, maybe? It luckily wasn’t severe, unlike most of the time I get one.” Doyle frowned.

“I’m sorry you have to go through stuff like this constantly.” Alex shrugged.

“At least it’s mostly over now. All we have to worry about is Scorpia, and I don’t think they’ll want to attack me again too soon. They need to gather themselves again before taking another shot.” Slowly, Doyle nodded then led Alex into the nearby bathroom attached to the Medical Bay, where he helped the other undress and slipping on the cast cover. Doyle blushed a little at having Alex naked but didn’t turn away, helping him into the tub, as Alex didn’t want to stand just in case he slipped.

“Do you need anything else?” Doyle asked.

“Except for washing my arm, I don’t think so.” Alex looked up at him and seemed to be blushing himself, or it could be from the warm, almost hot water, “You don’t have to be a voyeur, but do you mind staying?” Doyle blushed.

“Don’t call me that! I’m not a voyeur! And why? You don’t really need me for this...”

“Maybe not, but I don’t want you to be away from me again.” Alex closed his eyes as if to relax, leaning his head back, “I was away for four weeks. I don’t wanna leave you again, especially not that long.”

“I don’t either, but I thought...” Alex opened his eyes and looked up at Doyle upside down, confused.

“Why?”

“Just, don’t you need your privacy?” Alex blinked, then frowned.

“You know I wouldn’t hide my scars from you, even if I wanted to.” He reached up his free hand to touch Doyle’s cheek, “I’d also never hide my body from you, not unless you wanted me to.”

“No no no! I wouldn’t ask that of you!” Doyle shook his head, “Only, it’s been so long, it feels like I shouldn’t be doing this. I feel... _strange_ , and I never felt this way with Abbey.”

“...You really have never gotten over me, have you.” Alex pulled the ex-mercenary’s head down to give him a small kiss, “You feel strange because it’s me, Doyle, and it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other like this.”

“Maybe.” Doyle began to smile and kissed him back, “Now hold still and let me wash your arm.”

“Okay, love.” Doyle took off his gloves, grabbed the soap, and began to help Alex with his arm, being so gentle it surprised the spy. He knew how gentle Doyle could be firsthand, but it was still a surprise. It was astonishing that a man as strong as Doyle could be so careful, so kind, and Alex was glad to have it back in his life. All too soon his arm was clean and Alex didn’t want Doyle to quit, so he tried to make an excuse to keep Doyle near.

“Hey, do you mind washing my back?” Alex asked. Doyle raised an eyebrow.

“Sure, Al. Hold still.” When Doyle touched his back, Alex closed his eyes and tried to relax. He knew he was kinda pushing it, but it had been so long since they had to be together, he deserved to indulge a little. His eyes flew open when he felt the redhead massaging him and glanced back. Doyle gave a smirk and kissed the back of Alex head.

“I love you too.” Doyle whispered, seeming to have figured out what Alex had actually wanted, and the blond couldn’t help but blush. Doyle chuckled but continued on, “It’s been too long.”

“Yeah...”

“We also care too much.”

“Do you really have to say it?” Alex teased.

“And if I could, I would take this from you.” Doyle laid a hand on Alex’s covered cast.

“I know you would, but I’m glad you don’t have it. I’m so used to pain now, it barely matters.” Doyle’s face dropped and he sighed.

“I wish it wasn’t. And I think you’ve told me this before, but tell me again: Why did you work for them? For MI6 and everyone else who used you? I know they blackmail you, but how did you start working for them?”

“Because of my uncle.” Alex closed his eyes as if to think back, “After his death, there were a lot of things that didn’t add up, so I did a little investigating on my own and found out he was a spy for MI6. After that, they blackmailed me and you know the rest.”

“But you’re free now, and that’s what matters.” Doyle hugged Alex from behind, “Need anymore help?” Alex shook his head.

“No, I can get the rest. Thanks for what you did, though. You’re the best boyfriend a guy could ask for.”

“So are you, babe. Sure you don’t need me to help you with your hair?”

“Only if you want to...” Alex grinned and Doyle rolled his eyes.

“Okay, keep your eyes closed...”

* * *

That night was the first in a long time that Alex was able to sleep well, and Doyle didn’t want to leave him alone, managing to fall asleep on a nearby bed, and so his family tucked him in the best they could. However, unlike Alex, soon after he was asleep, Doyle began to move and fidget in a nightmare. And it was because of these small noises that Alex woken up, a little groggy.

“Doyle..?” he yawned. Alex wasn’t sure if it was because of his voice or the nightmare ending, but right after that was when Doyle awoke.

“AH!” Doyle shot up in bed, panting and eyes wide. He was filled with terror for a reason he didn't quite know, causing him to look around frantically. Slowly, he calmed down, his heart still pounding despite the adrenaline running down. Continuing to pant, he looked over and found Alex staring at him, not with a look of fear or irritation but one of worry and understanding.

“Are you okay?” he asked. One of Doyle's hands scrambled to grasp Alex's before he nodded, reaching across the gap and grabbing the blond’s uninjured hand tightly.

“Y-yeah.” A shaky free hand ran through the redhead's hair, “Just a _really_ bad dream.”

“Wanna tell me about it?”

“N-not now, maybe later.”

“Alright, love.” Alex gave him a reassuring smile, “Try to get back to sleep if you can. I'll be here if you need me.” Doyle could only nod, as jittery as he was, while Alex closed his eyes and presumably went back to sleep. The ex-mercenary was still holding his hand, but it didn't seem to bother the blond at all. He knew Alex wanted to know what had happened, what he had dreamed about, but he also knew Alex wouldn't pry unless the ex-spy deemed the information very important or a danger to Doyle. And it wasn't like he could really remember what the dream was, anyway. He just knew he hated it, and it was different from his previous nightmares. This one was new, it had something to do with Alex, and it was _terrifying_.

* * *

As the days passed, eventually Alex was taken to the nearby hospital to have his cast removed, and everyone was glad that there were no questions about Alex’s condition. His bruises were just about healed and the stitches were beginning to dissolve, so that was good. The one bad thing about it all was that Alex was not the kind of guy to sit still for long, and so everyone was trying to keep an eye on Alex and made sure he didn’t accidentally hurt himself. One way to do that was to just talk with him and share stories. Alex  honestly didn’t want to share some of his stories with Zak, but he had promised no more secrets with the kid, and so that’s where he found himself now, telling the tanned boy about one of his less dangerous missions. It was just them and the cryptids, who were also interest in the stories, and Alex was kind of happy to have such an enamored audience.

“...and then tumbled under the door just in time, barely missing getting crushed, and I was off like a shot, trying to escape and contact the CIA.” Alex sat back, “It wasn’t much longer after that that I found myself escaping another death trap and somehow destroying the satellite, saving New Delhi from getting fried.”

“Wow! I wish I could have adventures like that!”

“No, no you don’t.” Zak shrugged.

“Maybe not, but still! You get to go everywhere and do all sorts of things! I’m 13 and Mom still gives me a bedtime!” Alex chuckled.

“If you showed her you were more responsible, she might give you a little more responsibility, including no bedtime cutoff.”

“I can do that!” Alex chuckled again and shook his head.

“I’d like to see you try. Now, your turn to share a story with me.”

“Well, Uncle Doyle was in trouble once and I helped him out.”

“Oh really?” Alex raised an eyebrow, interested. What did Doyle do to get himself in such trouble _Zak_ had to save him?

“Yeah. It was when he was training me and we went to this abandoned town in Canada, where the water was controlled by these really tiny cryptids!” Zak moved his hands, trying to show Alex what had happened as he spoke, “Doyle didn’t believe me that something was wrong, since he always brings his own water, and then suddenly the water attacked him and caught his hand like this and almost made him drown!” Alex frowned, “And then we ran away from it but it kept coming after us, so Doyle tried to get me to leave while he fought off the water, but since this was a lesson about deception, I realized he lied and that the jet was actually far away, so I knew I couldn’t leave him alone and I went back to save him! He nearly drowned again, but then we cemented the lake and there were no more cryptids!”

“...He nearly drowned? _Twice_?” Alex didn’t sound happy.

“...Uncle Doyle didn’t tell you about this, did he.” Alex just stood up, his eyes dark, and Zak knew he was not in a good mood.

“Any idea where your uncle is?”

“The living room?” Zak suggested, and he and the cryptids watched Alex walk away.

“Wezzabuh weah?” Fisk asked.

“Of course we’re following. I wanna see how much Uncle Doyle gets chewed out.” Zak hopped out of his seat, “It’s not often you see someone like Uncle Doyle get punished.” And so the group of four quietly followed Alex to the living room, where, as Zak had correctly guessed, Doyle was playing video games. Alex, without warning, walked forward and turned the game system off, outraging Doyle before he saw the look on the blond’s face.

“...You look really mad.” Doyle said weakly.

“I was just informed of how you nearly drowned _twice_ while protecting your nephew.”

“I’ve been through worse.” Doyle said, then quickly wished he hadn’t as Alex’s glare became impossibly darker.

“How many times have you nearly died since we separated?”

“Uh, I plead the 5th!”

“I assume that means ‘too many to count.’” Alex pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation, “Just my luck that my boyfriend has bad luck like me.”

“Hey, I didn’t mean to nearly die so many times!” Doyle protested.

“Doesn’t matter. You, sir, are under house arrest until I say otherwise.”

“You can’t do that!” Alex’s face didn’t change but he did step forward until he was leaning over Doyle.

“You wanna try to push that?”

“Uh...” Doyle blinked, backing down, “Now I remember why I never got on your bad side.”

“Exactly.” Alex took his hand and tugged Doyle off the couch, “Also, no video games.”

“House arrest doesn’t include no video games!”

“My version does.” As Alex began dragging Doyle away, the redhead spotted Zak and gave him a dark and betrayed look, where Zak gave a nervous smile. Doyle was going to get back at him for it later, the boy was sure, but that had certainly been an exciting scene. Satisfied, Zak and the cryptids didn’t go after the two as Alex took Doyle to their room, where they also didn’t see Alex take Doyle into a strong hug when they got into the room. At first Doyle was surprised, but then quickly hugged back, still confused.

“...I can’t believe I nearly lost you so many times.” Alex whispered, Doyle almost not hearing it, “I’m glad you’re okay, if just so that I could apologize.”

“...So, you’re not mad at me?”

“Oh, I’m still really pissed at you. I just took you away from Zak to love you, since I know he doesn’t want to see us kissing.” Alex raised his head to kiss Doyle’s lips, which the redhead reciprocated. When they stopped, they hugged again.

“Makes sense. And I’m sorry you didn’t hear that from me, but I didn’t wanna tell you because I knew how you’d react. It was really similar to how I react to you nearly dying.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Alex buried his face into Doyle’s neck, breathing in the other’s smell, “You mean everything to me, Doyle, and I’m so sorry I hurt you. I don’t deserve you.”

“Of course you do. _I’m_ the one who doesn’t deserve _you_.”

“But here we are, for some weird reason.” Alex joked.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Neither would I, Strawberry.” They kissed again and everything felt right, except for the fact that Doyle was still under house arrest. He didn’t mind, though, if this is what he got in return.

* * *

“How did you con me into this again?”

“You’re still under my house arrest, so I make the rules. Plus, you love me.”

“It’s times like this that make me question how much I love you...”

“You know you love me.” Alex gave Doyle a peck on the cheek, “Now c’mon, let’s do this.”

“You’re an idiot...” Doyle sighed, a smile on his face. Alex had somehow managed to convince Doyle to dance with him to pass the time and that’s how Doyle found himself standing in a room as _What About Us?_ played.

“This isn’t even a proper dancing song.”

“Does it matter?” Alex took his hands and drug Doyle onto the makeshift dance floor, “And this is just the first in a list of songs I thought fit us well.”

“Oh boy...” Doyle rolled his eyes but allowed himself to dance with Alex, watching how happy the ex-spy became at just being able to move around. He glanced down and caught Alex’s previously injured arm, pale in comparison to the rest of Alex and still so sickly-looking, but it didn’t seem to bother the blond at all. And Alex’s previous wounds didn’t seem to be bothering him, but he could just be covering it up. Either way, though, Alex was happy and Doyle was glad for it, as the other man was rarely happy anymore. The redhead could give him this one luxury, at least. And slowly, he found himself loosening up a little and just having fun, which was around the time the songs switched again and Drew and Doc came in to check on the two.

“Did you know your brother could dance like that?” Doc whispered to Drew. She could only shake her head as they watched Alex and Doyle dance together to _Never Gonna Give You Up_.

“Nice moves!” Alex commented, smiling.

“Back at you!” Doyle was grinning, feeling better than he had in awhile, perhaps even better than when he had discovered his family. Getting an idea, he suddenly grabbed Alex's arm as the song changed to a tango. The blond raised an eyebrow, not remembering putting a tango on the list, but went along with it, even leaning back as the song called for it.

“Been practicing?”

“No, but I remember when we used to dance together. I'm recalling that experience.” Doyle's grin lessened into a smile, “You have no idea how much I missed you.”

“Missed you too.” As the next section of the song came up, Alex turned the tables on Doyle; instead of bending backwards as expected, he pushed the redhead to take his place in the position (showing extraordinary strength at the feet with Doyle's size) before leaning down and kissing him. Doyle's eyes went wide in surprise at the action and Alex's strength before he began kissing back.

“...Maybe we should leave them alone.” Drew whispered to her husband, both of them smiling at how well Doyle and Alex were getting along again.

“You read my mind.” As so they left the two lovebirds alone as the ex-mercenary and ex-spy continued to dance. However, their happiness wasn’t going to last forever, as much as they wanted it to, and they knew that.

They just didn’t realize how it would end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally getting back into Sapphire & Jasper again, so hopefully I work more on it and can finish it in the future, making way for the sequel I have planned.


	33. Revenge Never Solves Anything

There was something in the air that morning that told Alex trouble was brewing, and he didn’t like it. He wished it would all go away, but he was like a trouble magnet. At least he had had a few days of happiness before this. But trouble didn’t come directly to him, not just yet. It went to Doyle first.

The day after being put under house arrest, Doyle was _bored_. He had tried getting through the puzzle box again and still hadn’t found out a way to open it (He was starting to think Alex had deliberately set him up to fail), he was banned from playing video games, and Alex was trying to read for once, leaving Doyle alone. Outside was gloomy and looking like it was about to start pouring, Zak was nowhere to be found (probably getting into trouble), and Doyle was not in the mood to sit around. Today would be a perfect day to go bother Doc, and so that’s what Doyle set out to do.

“I’m gonna go see my sis and Professor.” Doyle mentioned to Alex, “You need me, I’ll probably be in the Lab or somewhere.”

“You must be really bored then.” Alex quipped. Doyle shrugged.

“Well, with you refusing to help me with the puzzle box and nothing else to do, I don’t have many options.”

“You’re getting there, I promise.” Alex smiled, “If you didn’t give up so easily, I think you’d get it. It’s been almost two months since I gave you that, you should’ve been able to solve it by now.” Doyle stuck out his tongue in response.

“You make things too hard.” And Doyle left. Alex shrugged, even though Doyle didn’t see it. So Doyle began his trek down to the Lab, humming a song or two to himself as he walked, smiling. He hadn’t felt this good in a while, and he wasn’t going to let it go. But then his instincts kicked in and he felt like he was being watched. Stopping in his tracks, he stood still, trying to figure out from what direction he was being watched. He glanced behind him, blinking. There was nothing there. Nothing was near him, but he trusted his instincts, and so, when he started moving again, he picked up the pace. He wouldn’t have felt this uneasy if it was someone he knew, and he didn’t want to get caught alone. He could’ve taken them on by himself, but then again, sometimes being by himself never helped any. He was then forced to stop as someone stepped in front of him and tripped him, causing him to fall to the ground, but he knew this tactic and landed on his hands, using them as a springboard to get back on his feet, where he turned to face his opponent.

“Doyle.” The voice was familiar and, when he looked harder into the shadows, Doyle’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

“What the hell, Epsilon?! You’re lucky I didn’t sprain something!” The Gray Man stepped out of the shadows, holding a small laptop under one arm.

“I had to get you to stop in some way.” The man, as usual, wasn’t smiling, but there was something about him this time that set Doyle on edge. The redhead guessed it came from his time spent with Alex, being able to sense a little bit about people’s intentions, “I wanted to speak with you alone.”

“I’m guessing that’s why you sneaked in here? Because the others would’ve called me if you had seen them first.” Doyle narrowed his eyes, “What’s this about?”

“My people and I need you to do a favor for us.”

“This doesn’t sound like a ‘favor.’” Doyle crossed his arms, suspicious.

“I suppose you could see it that way, but I want to make this as non-threatening as possible. We want you to give us Alex Rider.”

“No.” Doyle should’ve known this was coming, “Too many of you guys either want Alex to do your dirty work or you want him dead, and I’m not letting you land a hand on him anymore! He’s done!”

“We thought you might protest, so I had to bring along an incentive.” Epsilon held out the laptop and opened it. Curious yet getting a feeling of dread, Doyle watched as a video began to play, completely silent, but he quickly grew red as he saw its contents. He knew the video and didn’t like what he saw, grabbing the laptop, crushing it between his hands, and letting the pieces fall to the floor.

“Where. Did. You. Get. That?” Doyle bit out, eyes full of cold fury as he stared at the agent. Epsilon was unfazed.

“Alex wanted to keep an eye on the apartment and kept cameras in all rooms. After you both separated, he asked Smithers to erase the footage, but Smithers made copies. My people got their hands on one, and if you don’t hand Alex over to us, we will be forced to share the video with other people who are out for Alex. Not only will the Gray Men be after him at that point, but so will Scorpia and many others, and they will be doing it through _you_. The video will show them that Alex has someone he cares for, and so they will target you to get to Alex. If you don’t wish for yourself or Alex to be hurt, then I would suggest giving Alex to the Gray Men before 8 tonight. You have until then to make a decision.” Doyle could only stand there as Epsilon turned around and walked into the shadows, disappearing.

* * *

_“Can’t you go easy on me?!”_

_“And what would be the fun in that? Besides, I know you can handle yourself, even if you don’t know martial arts.”_

_“F*ck you!”_

_“You wish.” Doyle blushed red as Alex grinned mischievously. With not much else to do, Doyle had asked Alex to teach him some of the fighting styles the blond knew, but he didn’t realize how_ tough _it would be. It didn’t help that Alex wasn’t going to go easy on him, no matter how much Doyle protested. As it was, they had cleared out space in the living room to practice, laying out mats and wearing at-home clothes like sweatpants and t-shirts, since they didn’t have any actually uniforms._

_“Let me show you again.” Alex said, “Watch closely, the_ Ushiro-geri _is a powerful move if used right. I should know, it’s saved my hide more than once.” Alex brought up his leg, twisted around, and kicked hard, almost knocking himself off-balance, “This works better if you actually have someone to fight.”_

_“Then why don’t you try it on me?” Doyle asked. Alex shook his head._

_“If I did that, you’d be hurting or worse for a long time. These moves can be_ lethal _if used right, Doyle, so there’s no way I’m using you as a punching bag until you’re ready.”_

_“I can defend myself just fine!” Doyle growled, “How do you think I survived this long?!” Alex crossed his arms._

_“Do you_ really _wanna see what I can do? Do you?” When Doyle nodded, Alex sighed, “Fine then.” Quick as lightning, Alex used the_ Ushiro-geri _, aiming for Doyle’s torso, but the redhead managed to dodge to the side, where he grabbed Alex’s foot. Before he could do anything, Alex sent his foot back down to the ground and put weight behind it, forcing Doyle to bend before he could let go, where the blond then took him by the biceps and, with a sweeping kick, brought Doyle to the ground. He sat on the other’s chest, hands on Doyle’s throat, face blank._

_“That last move was a_ Harai goshi _, a sweeping hip move from judo, and if I had wanted, you’d be dead.” Alex spoke, “I’ve killed people this way before who thought that they could take me on. Learn from this and_ never _get into a fight you don’t know you can win, Doyle.” He let go and stood, “Never ask me to do that again. I don’t wanna hurt you, and when I get in a fighting state of mind, I could very well do it without realizing. You may not have noticed, but I’ve been holding back in training you until now so that I wouldn’t hurt you.” Alex glanced down at the redhead, “So yeah, I really was ‘going easy’ on you.” Doyle could only blink, still trying to get over the shock of what had happened._

_He hadn’t actually seen Alex fight until then, and when he had been the target, the look in the spy’s eyes had made chills go down his spine. Alex wouldn’t have cared if he had killed Doyle then and there, even though they were boyfriends, and that kind of apathy scared Doyle. He could have very well done it, too, but he didn’t, and for some reason, that lessened the fear in Doyle’s chest. He didn’t know why, but it did._

_“...I’m sorry.” Doyle managed quietly, sitting up and rubbing his neck, “I didn’t know-”_

_“It’s fine.” Alex didn’t offer to help the other man to his feet, just standing a little bit away and holding himself, as if to dispel the emptiness that had invaded him in the fight. Doyle didn’t make any move to get up, sitting on the mat, thinking._

_“I can understand why you don’t have emotions when you fight,” Doyle began slowly, “and I can understand why you held yourself back while fighting me. I didn’t mean to push you like I did, but I just wanted to prove that I could defend myself just fine.” Doyle gave a shake of his head, “I still have a lot to learn though.”_

_“Not necessarily.” Alex looked at Doyle again, “You blocked my_ Ushiro-geri _, which not a lot of people can do because of my speed. I think you’ll be able to defend yourself even better after I teach you everything I know.” Alex held out a hand, “Ready?”_

_“Yeah.” Doyle took it and they went back to training, a different sense in the air than there had been when they had started. Maybe it was because they understood each other better now or something, but not only was it more focused now, Alex seemed to lighten up a little. It felt good._

* * *

Alex, after a few minutes of waiting for Doyle, grew worried and began to look for the other. He knew he shouldn’t have, but they’d been separated enough already, he didn’t want to stay away from Doyle too long again. And that was how he found the ex-mercenary pacing in a circle in the hallway, most certainly not happy.

“What’s wrong?” he asked after a few moments of observing. Doyle didn’t seem to acknowledge him, still pacing and quietly grumbling to himself. Alex hadn’t seen Doyle like this before and it worried him more than he showed, so he tried to get the other’s attention again, “Doyle.”

“What?!” he snapped, still not stopping.

“What are you doing?” Alex tried a different approach.

“What does it look like?!”

“Like you’re trying to wear a hole into the floor, and I don’t think Drew or Doc would like that.”

“Leave me alone.”

“Not until you tell me what you’re thinking about.” This caused Doyle to stop and turn his glare on Alex.

“What I’m thinking about is how to save you!” Alex blinked.

“What do you mean?”

“The Gray Men! F*cking _Epsilon_ was just here and told me that if I didn’t hand you over to the Gray Men by 8 tonight, we’d both be in hot water!”

“What did he actually say?”

“I just told you!”

“After the 8 thing, what else did he say? What was his threat?” Alex gestured for Doyle to keep talking.

“He- He had a laptop-” Doyle gave a strong snarl and Alex knew that this was the angriest he’d ever seen Doyle, “It had our ‘special night’ on it- He’s using it as blackmail on me! _That night_ ! Wait-” Doyle turned on Alex, “He said _you_ set up cameras in the apartment! Why?!” At this point, Alex realized what Doyle was talking about and it likewise pissed him off, even if he was less emotional about it. And, before he could join Doyle in raging at the Gray Men, he had to defend himself.

“I was trying to keep us safe!” he snapped, “And I told Smithers to erase the footage after you disappeared! I even checked his computers, just in case!”

“Then you had the hood pulled over your eyes, because apparently Smithers made copies of what happened!”

“How do you know that the Gray Men weren’t lying?!” That stopped Doyle in his tracks, but he was still angry.

“Because,” he said, “I saw the video of us. They can’t just fake that. They can’t fake _every single detail_ if they weren’t there or had the video themselves. It’s embarrassing enough that our night got recorded, I don’t want anyone else seeing it, especially your enemies! The Gray Men will give it to your enemies and then they’ll come after me and my family just to get to _you_!” Tears had come to Doyle by this point, angry tears that welled up in his eyes as he went on, “But I can’t give you to them because I love you and I don’t want you getting hurt! But our night can’t be seen because it means a lot to me, a lot that I can’t tell you! This whole thing is turning out like the lady and the tiger, and either one I choose will kill me!”

Alex had heard of the story Doyle was referencing. It was a story of a king who gave trials that were ‘fair’ to any and all criminals: They would choose between two soundproofed doors, one of which held a lady suitable for the criminal to marry, and the other a tiger. The main part of the story was when the king found out that his daughter was in love with a man of lower status than her, and so the king put him on trial. The princess then learned that the lady in waiting was someone whom she hated, leaving her lover with two damning choices: Either marry the lady, or be eaten by the tiger, and neither was a good choice for the princess. So, in either choice Doyle made, it either killed Alex or killed him, Doyle, _and_ his family. Both choices doomed Alex regardless, even if they were in different ways. The blond had seen problems like this before and could only see one answer for the matter.

“Then you have to make the one that has the best outcome for everyone.” Alex said, voice emotionless, “Either you give me up and save everyone, or you let that video go out and kill everyone.” His eyes softened, “You have to let me go, Doyle.”

“No!” Doyle shook his head, “I’m not losing you a third time, Alex!”

“Even if it kills those you love?”

“That choice will already kill at least one person that I love.” Doyle seemed to have gotten his anger out at last and was now wiping his eyes, “You’ll die, I know you will. Anyone who searches for you always wants you dead, and we’re supposed to be happy now that you’re free from MI6. I’d die if I lost you again, especially if it was for good.”

“You’re not gonna lose me.” Alex said, walking forward to Doyle’s side, “I’m stronger and smarter than I look, you know that, and I’ve dealt with these guys before. They’re nothing I can’t handle, and I have a feeling I know what they want. They also have no reason to kill me, even after they get what they want.”

“How can you be so _certain_ about all of this? How do you know for sure that you’ll survive? I know you know these guys, but I don’t think you know everything to survive!”

“Maybe not, but think about it this way: It’s a necessary evil to give myself to them to let you and the Saturdays be safe, like what Harry Potter did to stop Voldemort and save his friends. He knew he was gonna die, and he knew that it was a gamble to go to Voldemort and die to stop him. Harry knew what he had to do to save not only his friends, but the world.” Alex gave a sad smile, “I have to do the same thing to save all of you.” He wasn’t surprised when Doyle grabbed his upper arms and glared into Alex’s eyes sternly.

“ _I won’t allow it_.” he growled.

“You don’t have a choice.” said Alex. Doyle stared at him for another moment, then closed his eyes.

“I don’t.” he admitted, “But you can’t fault me for being so worried over you and your well-being after all that’s happened.”

“I know.” Alex pulled away, “But now you’ve gotta listen to me, because I have a plan on dealing with the Gray Men...”

* * *

When Doc felt a migraine coming on, he knew Doyle had something to do with it. Whenever Doyle was doing something stupid or worse, Doc tended to get a headache of some sort. He had rarely had them before Doyle came along, and he supposed this was the world’s way of telling him, “Doyle’s being an idiot again.” He didn’t even like the guy that much, yet he had this. It also happened when Doyle wasn’t anywhere near him, such as now. He supposed it could have just been a regular headache, but he doubted it.

“Drew,” Doc sighed, rubbing his forehead, “I think your brother is doing something stupid again.” Drew rolled her eyes.

“With what’s been going on lately, I wouldn’t doubt it.” she said, “But you haven’t gotten one in a while, so whatever’s going on, Doyle must be doing something even _Alex_ can’t keep him out of.”

“Which means this isn’t going to end well.” He turned to her, “Should we go after them?”

“I don’t know.” Drew handed him some medicine to help with his migraine, “How bad is your headache?”

“Right now? A full-blown migraine.” Drew winced.

“This must be something really bad if it’s giving you a migraine. I’ll go see them and find out what’s going on, you get some rest.” She gave Doc a kiss on the cheek and he smiled slightly as she left. The one good thing that always came out of his headaches was that Drew would always take care of him, but he wished he wasn’t some sort of ‘Doyle Stupidity’ detector.

* * *

Zak was actually practicing his skills with his brothers by playing hide-and-seek instead of getting into trouble. The reason why was because he had the feeling he might need to use his skills soon, and not just the ones taught by his parents and Uncle Doyle. He felt that Alex’s skills were going to come in handy soon, so he practiced being silent and hiding in different places. He almost snickered when he saw how much of a hard time Komodo and Fisk were having trying to find him after Komodo had found Fisk. But then he spotted his mom and, curious at where she might be going, followed her. Since he was in the vents above the hallways, he only caught glimpses of her, but he managed to keep up and guess correctly where she was going until she came to Doyle’s and Alex’s room. There was no vent inside the room, just the one in the closet (why was there a vent in the _closet_ , anyway?), so Zak entered there and tried to hear what was going on on the other side of the door.

He was careful to set aside Doyle’s mask so as to not accidentally knock it off and cause noise, but he really couldn’t hear anything, so he had to find someway to open the door without being noticed. Being on the top shelf with short arms, away from the doorknob, this was going to be tricky. There was no way to try and open the door with the Claw without grabbing attention, so he would have to somehow reach the doorknob by hand. To start, he knew he couldn’t reach it with his small arms, so he decided to use a move Alex had taught him in the gym and hoped it worked. Bracing his legs on the edge of the shelf, he allowed his top half to fall over the side, leaving himself hanging while his legs strained to keep him from falling. This would work better with a pole, but he didn’t have that luxury.

_Thank you, Alex!_ Zak smiled, being able to reach the doorknob now. He opened the door a crack, making no sound, and now he could hear what was going on outside as he returned to the top shelf.

“-you seen Zak?” That was his mom, and he held his breath.

“No. He’s probably getting into trouble again.” Doyle said.

“He might not.” Alex said. Zak silently cheered for Alex defending him.

“Maybe.” If it was possible, Zak _swore_ he could hear Doyle shrugging, “You never know with that kid.”

“Alright. I just wanted to make sure nothing was wrong. Doc’s ‘stupid sense’ was going off again.” Drew said. Doyle snorted.

“I don’t know how Professor gets his headaches from me, but I swear I’m not doing anything!”

“Uh huh...” Drew didn’t sound convinced.

“I promise he’s not getting into trouble.” Alex assured, “I’d beat him to it if that was the case. You know how my luck is.”

“I wish it wasn’t.” Drew gave a sigh, “Okay. I’ll go back to Doc then. Just stay out of trouble, you two.”

“Got it.” Doyle said, probably nodding. There was a door opening and Zak froze, wondering if he was done for, then he realized it wasn’t the closet door. He silently released the breath he’d been holding as the door closed again, and he was left in the room with Alex and Doyle. Before Zak could make to leave, he caught the two talking again in lower tones than before. Curious, he strained to listen.

“...Are you sure about this? If something happens, we’ll have no backup, and we promised there wouldn’t be any more secrets.” Doyle asked.

“We only promised that to Zak. And this is too important to tell anyone. I love your sister and her husband, but this isn’t something they can get involved with.”

“They could help!”

“No, they couldn’t. I’ve thought this all out, Doyle. If anyone besides you or me are involved, the Gray Men will be expecting it and might hurt them.”

“As if you’re not gonna get hurt already...” Alex gave a small chuckle.

“I mentioned my luck, Doyle, and I know these guys way better than you. They aren’t gonna kill me. Hurt me, sure, but kill me isn’t something they can do.”

“You keep saying that. How do you know they won’t kill you?”

“Because it’d upset the balance.”

“What balance?” Doyle sounded confused, but Zak knew _exactly_ what Alex was talking about.

“The spy balance.” One of the beds creaked as one of the guys sat on it, “Epsilon and I are some of the most successful spies in the world, Doyle, if not _the_ most successful. Without the other, each of us would be so powerful we’d likely be killed on the spot by not only our enemies but also our friends. That’s one of the reasons MI6 tried to send me on a suicide mission. Besides not being useful anymore, they wanted to kill me so I wouldn’t get too powerful later.”

“But that could only happen if Epsilon was out of the picture, if I’m understanding that right, and I know for a fact he _isn’t_.”

“No, but it could be that he’s going to try and get out of his agency soon. If he survives, that leaves him and I without anyone to be commanded by and MI6 and the Gray Men would be pissing their pants. The thing about spying, Doyle, is that you don’t let your biggest assets go without a fight, or just in general. I could have gone against MI6 if I wanted to and destroyed them, but I didn’t because they’re just trying to save the world. But the second I became obsolete, they tried to kill me so that no one else could have me.” Alex gave a bitter laugh, “If Epsilon is going to be obsolete soon, then that’s also what’s gonna happen to him, and if we both survive, our own agencies will want us dead so that we can’t attack them back.”

“But how? He’s not all that old, is he?”

“It’s not that. I think the Gray Men are about to put Francis on his first assignment and, if he does well, Epsilon will be out of the picture.”

“But he’s one of the top spies, like you said. What would be the point of that?”

“Because Francis is a clone of Epsilon.” Alex said, and Zak winced. He hadn’t told anyone outside his cryptid siblings and his best friends about Francis. This wasn’t going to end well.

“...What.”

“You didn’t know? Do Drew and Doc not know either? _Wow_ . How have you not _noticed_?”

“...This makes a whole lot of mind-bending sense and it’s hurting my head.” There was another creak from the bed as Doyle presumably sat beside Alex.

“I can tell.” Alex drawled, “And have I told you how Julius was a clone?”

“No, but what does he have to do with anything?”

“A lot, but I don’t need to get into specifics right now. As it is, how this all ties together is because of Francis.”

“How?”

“I-” Alex hesitated, “I...can’t tell you. Not right now.” The bed creaked again, probably as Alex stood, “We’ve got to make sure things will go well for when we see the Gray Men tonight.”

“Alex-”

“Don’t push me on this, Doyle. I’m not ready to tell you yet.”

“...I hope you can soon. We may be boyfriends, but sometimes, I still feel like a stranger to you.”

“I know, and I’m sorry.” When it became silent again, Zak retreated back into the vents, worriedly wondering what to do about what was going to happen that night.


End file.
